MAYOR BOOKER AND SUPERINTENDENT ANDERSON TO KICK OFF ‘MY VERY OWN LIBRARY’ LITERACY INITIATIVE ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, AT 10 A.M. AT RIDGE STREET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, 735 RIDGE STREET

MAYOR CORY BOOKER AND SUPERINTENDENT CAMI ANDERSON JOIN FOUNDATION FOR NEWARK’S FUTURE

AND NJ AFTER 3 TO KICK-OFF “MY VERY OWN LIBRARY” LITERACY INITIATIVE

ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, AT 10 A.M., AT RIDGE STREET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, 735 RIDGE STREET

Pilot Program to Provide 5,200 Newark Elementary Students with 10 New Books

to Build Their Own Home Libraries

Newark, NJ – November 18, 2011 – Mayor Cory A. Booker and State District Schools Superintendent Cami Anderson will join Foundation for Newark’s Future President and CEO Greg Taylor and NJ After 3 on Monday, November 21, at 10 a.m., at Ridge Street Elementary School to kick-off the “My Very Own Library” book donation and literacy initiative. The school is located at 735 Ridge Street in Newark’s North Ward.

Under the pilot program, roughly 5,200 students at eight NPS elementary schools will each receive 10 books of their choosing to build their own home libraries. Conceived by philanthropist Anne Feeley and jointly supported by her $125,000 donation and a $176,000 grant from the Foundation for Newark’s Future, the program aims to encourage a lifelong love of reading as part of broader efforts to bolster early childhood literacy and engage families in their children’s education. Book supplier “First Book” will deliver the nearly 60,000 books to participating elementary schools in three installments over the course of the school year.

WHO: Mayor Cory A. Booker, State District Superintendent of Schools Cami Anderson, Foundation for Newark’s Future President and CEO Greg Taylor, New Jersey After 3 President and CEO Mark Valli, and Ridge Street School students, faculty, and staff.

WHAT: Will kick off the “My Very Own Library” book donation and literacy initiative.

WHEN: Monday, November 21

10 a.m.

WHERE: Ridge Street Elementary School

735 Ridge Street

Newark

-NEWARK-

Contact: Newark Press Information Office – (973) 733-8004

pressoffice@ci.newark.nj.us

Foundation for Newark’s Future – klyon@skdknick.com

For more information on the City of Newark, please visit our website at www.ci.newark.nj.us