Summer Reading Program Helping Miami Kids Excel

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Miami is a safe, fun place for kids. But it also is a place of learning. The organization puts a high priority on the academic achievements of the kids in its care.

Two of the most successful brain-boosting activities for Miami Boys & Girls Clubs kids are the After School Education Program and the Summer Reading Program. In After School, kids receive professionally-supervised homework assistance, arts and crafts, outdoor activities and more. Kids are evaluated individually to assess their strengths and provided extra help for their weaknesses.

The Summer Reading Program provides a safe, comfortable environment for Miami children to discover classic tales, stay up with new stories and stretch their imaginations.

The programs have been clearly successful over the years. The Boys & Girls kids have shown dramatic improvement in language arts and math scores after participating in the Club education programs, and clearly outscore their Miami-Dade Schools peers on achievement tests and graduation rates.

This year, the Verizon Foundation and Motorola have joined long-time supporter Verizon Wireless in providing funds and other resources to help Miami Boys & Girls Clubs kids. The Foundation provided a $10,000 grant to for the Education Program, and Motorola teamed up with Verizon Wireless to donate numerous XYBOARD and other wireless tablets for the Summer Reading Program. 

“The kids are so tech-oriented and gadget-savvy and they love the tablets,” said Alex Rodriguez-Roig, executive director of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Miami. “We appreciate all the support from Verizon and all of our sponsors who help us in our mission to inspire and enable young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens.”