Springside Chestnut Hill Academy’s Kids Literacy Fun Fest, billed as an afternoon of free family fun to kick off the summer season and Juneteenth weekend, will feature a line-up of Philadelphia children’s authors and bookstores on June 18 from noon to 3 p.m. at the school’s McCausland Lower School Commons.

Proceeds from refreshments sold will go to the Horizons at SCH summer academic program, which serves students from under-resourced schools in the community. Admission to the festival, which is presented by Auggie Bear Publishing, is free. 

“The Kids Literacy Fun Fest is a way for families to come out, reconnect with the community again, meet local authors, participate in interactive activities, and be entertained by Baby Loves Disco, while keeping our kids engaged with literature throughout the summer,” said Auggie Bear Publishing’s founder and project manager, Kadeja Wexler. “I can’t think of a better way to jump start the summer than by reading. I know firsthand that the more children read, the more their minds and worlds are open to endless possibilities.

“Reading can ignite that spark of imagination to inspire one to begin writing their own stories,” Wexler continued. “There’s no greater freedom on the planet than reading and writing. Summertime is a great time to fill your child’s mind with great stories and exciting adventures and worlds that are waiting between the covers of a good book.”

The festival will include activities sponsored by local youth organizations with music and dancing by Baby Loves Disco, which is also one of the event’s sponsors.

“Baby Loves Disco is proud to bring our afternoon dance party to SCH Academy's big backyard to kick off the Juneteenth weekend, promote literacy and local authors and support the new Horizons at SCH program,” said Heather Murphy, founder of Baby Loves Disco. “At its core, it’s a com­mu­nity event, bringing kids together with kids and families together with families to celebrate music and dancing.”

Horizons at SCH Academy is part of a national network of more than 70 tuition-free summer programs that deliver high-quality academic and enrichment support for students. 

Students begin Horizons the summer after kindergarten and return each summer through 8th grade. They come to the SCH campus for six weeks in July and August, when they participate in a variety of academic and enrichment activities to build literacy and math skills along with physical and mental wellness. This program is free to families, and funded by donations from corporations, foundations and individual donors. 

Studies have shown that pandemic-related learning gaps in literacy are now disproportionately concentrated in the early elementary grades (K-2). In these three grades, educational inequities have widened the national gaps in early reading skills between Black and Hispanic students and their white counterparts. As students shift between in-person and remote learning, many have not had equal access to high-quality learning opportunities. Horizons programs help to ensure that all students have opportunities to learn outside of school, helping to close academic gaps and decrease summer learning loss known to be one of the strongest contributors to the high school dropout rate. 

For more information and to RSVP, visit sch.org/kids-literacy-fun-fest.