News Release

With the generous support from the Verizon Foundation, the Center for Summer Learning at The Johns Hopkins University is requesting proposals from summer program providers throughout Maryland to distribute books and engage children in enriching summer learning activities on Summer Learning Day, July 13, 2006.

Ten local programs will receive $1,500 each to support their Summer Learning Day events. These funds, provided by the Verizon Foundation, must be used to support the purchase of books, materials, and supplies appropriate to learning for children in conjunction with Summer Learning Day. Funds cannot be used to support food, salaries, overhead, travel, or any other non-specified costs. Additionally, each program will receive training and an orientation about Summer Learning Day provided by the Center for Summer Learning.

"The overarching goal of Summer Learning Day is to celebrate the importance of high quality summer learning opportunities in the lives of young people and their families, said Ron Fairchild, executive director of the Center for Summer Learning. The event is also designed to raise awareness about how summer programs send young people back to school ready to learn, support working families, and keep children safe and healthy during the summer months."

Summer Learning Day is designed to focus local, state and national attention on the issue of summer learning and build public support for a broad range of programs that send children back to school ready to learn. Events are designed to draw critical attention to the need for summer literacy activities for young people, in particular.

Sample Summer Learning Day events in past years include:

Hosting a family fun day for program participants and their families

Inviting a children s performer to present for program participants and their families

Holding a summer read-a-thon for program participants, families, and staff

Putting on a summer learning fair with demonstrations by program participants

The center encourages applicants to be creative and to involve participants, families and the community in celebrating the importance of summer learning.

To be eligible for the grant, applicants must:

Be a public or private organization or agency in Maryland (schools, community-based organizations, libraries, universities, faith-based organizations, etc.);

Or be a collaboration of the aforementioned organizations or agencies; and

Serve young people between kindergarten and 12th grade during the summer months.

Eligible applicants must meet the following timeline in order to be considered for the grant. No exceptions will be made.

Applications must be received either electronically or via a postal delivery service by Wednesday, May 31, at noon EDT. The Center for Summer Learning is not responsible for lost applications or files not transmitted electronically. Electronic submissions must be sent to Brendan Costigan at bcostig1@jhu.edu as a single file. Send physical submissions to the address below.

Verizon Maryland Summer Learning Day Grant
Attn: Brendan Costigan
Center for Summer Learning
The Johns Hopkins University
3105 N. Charles St.
Baltimore, Md. 21218