April 5, 2019

Did you know that the average student loses about a month of academic learning during the “summer slide?” Community Housing Partners (CHP) is working to offset that loss through the CHP Reads! Summer Reading Program.

CHP Reads! logoThroughout April, CHP Resident Services is collecting books for youth living at CHP communities as part of the new program and has three ways for community members to participate:

  • Bring new or gently used books to one of four CHP locations. Donations will be accepted at CHP’s corporate headquarters in Christiansburg, Energy Solutions Research and Training Center in Christiansburg, Richmond office, and Inverness office. Office locations and contact information are available on CHP’s website.
  • Sponsor CHP Reads! book drives with volunteer, civic, or faith-based organizations in your communities. Please contact corporatedevelopment@chpc2.org for more information.
  • Give a monetary donation so CHP can purchase new books. To donate, please select “2019 Book Drive” from the drop-down menu in CHP’s online donation portal.

The CHP Reads! program aims to address the “summer slide,” a term used to describe the academic regression experienced by students over the summer. According to a report by the Brookings Institution, the average student loses a month of academic-calendar learning summer. The impact of the summer slides contributes to a more pronounced achievement gap, and research has found a link between socioeconomic status and the loss of reading skills experienced over the summer.

National research finds that students who participate in summer reading programs scored higher on reading achievement tests at the beginning of the next school year than those who did not participate. The amount of time children spend reading outside of school is linked to gains in reading achievement, and numerous studies show that access to books and magazines is directly related to higher reading achievement.

There are several other ways CHP staff can participate over the next three months, including a Little Free Libraries installation at three CHP properties in May and book fairs and CHP Reads! celebrations in June.