Foellinger Foundation announces one million dollar grant to Allen County Public Library for summer learning program

Foellinger Foundation has announced a $1 million grant to provide three-year support to the Summer Learning Program. The Allen County Public Library (ACPL) program is designed to serve as a bridge between school sessions, maintaining educational skills for all young people who are most at risk, thus preventing the “summer slide.” Research shows that students, who do not engage in learning activities over the summer, slide behind their peers when they reenter school in the fall.

Photographed LR: Michael Horton, Greta Southard (Dir ACPL), Kathryn Roudebush (Chair ACPL Fdn), Cheryl Taylor (Pres Foellinger Fdn), Jim Williams (Pres ACPL Board)

Foellinger Foundation supports effective organizations that work to strengthen children and families. The Summer Learning Program has made a significant impact by doing this in our community. Some highlights from 2017 include:

• 51,000 hours of reading recorded
• 27,000 children, teens and adults registered for the program
• 16,500 free lunches and snacks were served
• 5,200 participants in Camp Library programs
• 4,868 youth reached by Team Read at 22 sites
• 95% of survey respondents reported their child maintained or increased their reading skills

“The Summer Learning Program creates a community of lifelong learners and encourages family literacy,” said Cheryl Taylor, Foellinger Foundation President. “We are proud to support the program as it has become one of Foellinger Foundation’s Signature Grants.”

In addition to reaching young children and families, the Summer Learning Program also employs teens as a part of Team Read. This component offers teens an income, social and soft skills, communication training, financial literacy and many more valuable skills.

Since 1994, Foellinger Foundation has granted $4.7 million in support of the Summer Learning Program.