They say it takes a village to raise a child. The City of Miami Gardens is taking the old proverb to heart, “Read with Style” education program, offering a radically new approach to engage young African-American and Caribbean-American boys in reading. Instead of the strict structure of a classroom, young boys from ages 4 to 8 can learn to read from mentors in their community in the comfortable and welcoming environs of their corner barbershop.
Led by Miami Gardens Vice Mayor Felicia Robinson, the program launched this past Tuesday at the City Hall Breezeway. Among music, food, and barbers exchanging stories and advice, the young participants met with mentors, learning to read one-on-one with learning stations, with book selections that provided age-appropriate materials culturally relevant to their experience.
The new program, which will operate at participating barbershops throughout the city from 3 to 7 p.m. every Tuesday, hopes to leverage the cultural significance of barbershops in Black communities to help black boys identify as readers. This innovative approach, believes organizers, can connect black men and families to black boys’ early reading experiences. Across the country, improving reading education and engagement is a crucial issues among the community. According to the United States Department of Education, more than 85 percent of America’s black male K-12 students are not proficient in reading. Part of the obstacles such students face, is the lack of early childhood classrooms incorporating Black boys’ reading preferences, or lack of culturally competent teachers.
To sign up or find out more information about the program, contact Shantelle Smith at 305-622-3000, ext. 2789 or email at ssmith2@miamigardens-fl.gov.
