Read Across Ewing Book Giveaway

Wash and Learn Kickoff Saturday, March 4th 

This is a part of the Wash and Learn Initiative in Ewing whose purpose is to surmount the barriers to learning.  

According to event sponsor, Mr. Jesse Ambriz, a 7th Grade Special Education Math teacher at Fisher Middle School, almost 60% of children in the United States start Kindergarten unprepared, lagging behind their peers in critical language and reading skills. Public libraries, while great for families to gather and read together, only operate at best between the hours of 8am-9pm.  As such, there are many in our community that do not have access to books for their children. With these statistics in mind, he was inspired to research ways to bridge these gaps and has found a potential solution: a “Wash and Learn” program.

Laundromats provide an ideal space to engage with low-income families. Laundromat patrons return weekly and wait an average of 90 minutes for their clothes to wash and dry. Operating 24/7, they are an ideal space to engage with many low-income families and provide learning opportunities after the library has closed. 

During this initiative, Mr. Ambriz, will be going into the Laundry Depot in Ewing Plaza and setting up a literacy station for the kids that visit the facility every week.  It will have a bookshelf, a small table, and plenty of books to read and take if desired.  In honor of Read Across America Day, sponsored by the National Education Association on March 2, 2023  he will be hosting a 'grand opening' event on Saturday, March 4, from 10am-12pm. 

This event is open to the public. It will feature a book giveaway, community resource organization representatives, bike helmet and car seat safety checks by Capital Health, and free water ice provided by the Ewing PBA Civic Association. We hope to see you there!"