Support the Kids!!!

About a year ago I wrote a post imploring one and all to support the Enoch Pratt Library's Summer Reading campaign. A campaign promoted by the Pratt Contemporaries, a group that I serve on the Board of. Last year more than 38,000 children and teens participated in Pratt's summer programs, with more than 15,000 children enrolled in the incentive-based Summer Reading Program, reading over 160,000 books!

Over the course of Summer 2012, there will be various summer reading events that will help children throughout the city to work on and hone their reading skills.

Just like last year, I'm encouraging you all to help the Pratt Contemporaries reach our goal of sponsoring 200 children for this summer. Sponsoring a child for the summer costs $60/child but you can make a contribution of less than $60 by visiting the sponsorship form, selecting "0" from the "No. of children you support" pull-down, and adding whatever amount you'd like to donate in the field next to "I would like to make an additional donation to the Summer Programs at Pratt." You can even make your donation in honor of (me, if you want) or in memory of someone that cared about reading, child literacy, or helping kids in general.

I'm definitely going to sponsor a child (or two) and I'd like to challenge you to do the same. Visit the sponsorship form at the URL below and feel free to leave a comment here with any additional questions you might have.

http://www.prattlibrary.org/support/contemporaries/helpsummerreading.aspx

Support the Pratt Library's Summer Reading Program for Kids!!!

Support the education of the children of Baltimore by sponsoring a child for the Enoch Pratt Free Library's Summer Reading Program.

As a member of the Pratt Contemporaries (you should join too), I'm encouraging you all to help the Pratt Contemporaries reach our goal of sponsoring 200 children for this summer. Sponsoring a child for the summer costs $60/child but you can make a contribution of less than $60 by visiting the sponsorship form, selecting "0" from the "No. of children you support" pull-down, and adding whatever amount you'd like to donate in the field next to "I would like to make an additional donation to the Summer Programs at Pratt."

"Last year more than 38,000 children and teens participated in Pratt's summer programs, with more than 16,000 children enrolled in the incentive-based Summer Reading Program, reading over 220,000 books! We know that children may experience a loss of academic skills in July and August, often referred to as "summer slide." This loss is nearly impossible to make up, compounds over time, and particularly impacts children in underserved communities.... Please sponsor one or more children and help reduce summer slide!" - Enoch Pratt Library website

Translation: There were a ton of kids that benefited from this program last year and it would not happen without the help of generous people like you that want to see the children of Baltimore City (and probably every other city) succeed. Help a child keep his/her reading skills improving throughout the summer by sponsoring a child or donating to this program. Otherwise, prepare yourself for the doom of a summer filled with kids running the streets like raging maniacs fueled by sugar, soda, and anger over no E.B. White, Beatrix Potter, or Ruth Krauss books to read. You wouldn't want THAT, now would you?

I know, enough said.

To sponsor a child, click here.

Hill Harper is a pretty impressive guy

Yesterday I had the opportunity to go see Hill Harper at a book signing in downtown Baltimore at the Enoch Pratt Free Library. The event was hosted by a group that I'm a part of, the Pratt Contemporaries. Hill would be there to speak about his most recent book, "Letters to a Young Sister, the follow-up to "Letters to a Young Brother".

I'll be honest, I haven't read either book and didn't have any intention on it either. But after having the opportunity to meet Hill at a mixer before his talk and listen to him speak, I am definitely impressed by they guy and I could see myself getting one of those books as gifts to my younger cousins (that's who they're targeted toward).

He focused most of his talk on things that plague young black women and men. Things such as low self-esteem, unrealistic expectations and desires brought on by falsehoods presented via media outlets, and developing a sense of pride and self-worth at a young age. I was very impressed by Hill's intelligence, grasp of history and historical perspective, his persuasiveness, and ability to convey very important and eloquent points without going over people's heads. Watching him speak you can see that he has a passion for helping nurture children into intelligent and responsible adults. The talk was great and I even left with a few quotables like:

"Sometimes rejection is God's protection"

"Everybody's welcome, but it ain't for everybody"

"F.E.A.R. - False Expectations Appearing Real"

To really understand what he was trying to convey with those last two quotes, you probably had to be there (or perhaps read one of his books) So if you get a chance to see this brother talk, make sure you do. And fellas, he definitely brings the ladies out in droves, LOL. L and I might have been one of maybe 2-dozen men in a crowd filled with women both young and old (not to mention school children). So even if you go scheming on some nice young ladies, you might just learn something in the process. He mentioned to L and I that he was doing a book tour and that he had stops in Philly and Chicago coming up.

After the jump you can check out a few flicks that L took during the mixer before his talk and right before Hill began speaking.


Oh yeah, here's a few things I was shocked to learn about Hill Harper and one interesting tidbit on his role in CSI NY.

1. Hill is 42 years old. Dude looks like he's younger than me. How to people like Hill and Halle age like that? Amazing.
2. He was raised in a single-parent household, but by his father
3. He is good friends with Barack Obama since they went to school together at Harvard
4. His role in CSI NY was meant for a Black man to play. Before L inquired about that, I never thought about the fact that Hill plays a Black male CSI in New York. I wonder how many there are in real life.