Education program for minority children debuts in New York

World Today

African- American elementary school children are falling desperately behind when it comes to reading, according to figures from a White House initiative. Just 10 percent, from low-income families, are reading proficiently by fourth grade. That’s why a former teacher from New York is trying a novel approach to get kids interested in books. CCTV America’s Nick Harper filed this report from New York.

Follow Nick Harper on Twitter @NickHarperFSNo

Highlights:

  • Connecting books with barbers is the idea of former-teacher Alvin Irby, who’s seen kids at his schools in Harlem and the Bronx struggle.
  • Irby chose barbershops as they’re seen as cultural centers in these New York areas. He feels children of color don’t associate books with their identity, a problem exacerbated in poorer neighborhoods where children often grow up with little access to reading material.
  • The education organization, Literacy Partners thinks Barbershop Books can help set children on a path to a better future.