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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Reading program awards kids free computers

County Commissioner Cynthia Chestnut held up a library card and said children can use it as an educational passport.

"Here, you can travel to Paris," Chestnut said. "You can read about Denzel Washington."

About 25 children from the Eden Park community and their families gathered at Ironwood Golf Course on Monday night to celebrate their completion of a reading program.

Each child had to read 25 books and complete 25 book reports in order to receive a free refurbished computer courtesy of VyStar Credit Union and Comcast Cable.

About 22 printers were also donated by Wal-Mart.

Gainesville Regional Airport and Atlantic Southeast Airlines employees have mentored students every Tuesday since July.

"You don't generally think of the airport participating in something like this," Chestnut said. "It's terrific."

Rep. Corrine Brown, who represents Alachua County in District 3, helped carry out the project.

Brown said she was concerned about low standardized test scores and the number of children dropping out.

She congratulated the children, who were either in elementary or middle school, for working hard over the past few months.

"The key is the kids have earned it," Brown said.

Ed Jennings Jr., president of Jennings Development Group, was also a mentor in the program.

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By the second week, some of the children had read about 14 books, he said.

Some students who finished the program early became student mentors and read books with their peers.

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