An initiative in United Methodist churches across rural North Carolina aimed at strengthening students’ reading skills has reached two congregations in Cumberland County.
The Summer Literacy Initiative by the Duke Endowment is working to combat academic backsliding in reading among first, second and third graders in the Tar Heel State.
Experts said while students have a steady flow of academic resources during the school year, children in low-income and under-resourced areas often find the flow slows to a trickle over the summer…