The children's museum of the east end will expand estrellas DE lectura/reading STARS, a reading mentorship program that improves social emotional learning skills, and restores and supports reading…

The Children's Museum of the East End (CMEE) received a $157,920 project grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Museums for America (CFDA 45.301) program to expand their Estrellas de Lectura/Reading Stars program. This reading mentorship initiative aims to improve social-emotional learning skills and restore reading fluency in bilingual children disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 learning loss. The grant will fund activities such as community engagement, mentor recruitment and training, curriculum updates, and program promotion through local partnerships. As a result, K-4 students will receive twice-weekly tutoring sessions at CMEE's Bridgehampton and Riverside locations, leading to improvements in English reading fluency, vocabulary, self-confidence, and social-emotional skills. The project period runs from September 1, 2023 to August 31, 2024.

The children's museum of the east end will expand estrellas DE lectura/reading STARS, a reading mentorship program that improves social emotional learning skills, and restores and supports reading fluency in bilingual children that were disproportionately affected by learning loss as a result of the covid-19 pandemic. Project activities will include gathering information through community meetings, recruiting and training reading mentors, updating the curriculum, and promoting the program through community partners. Students entering grades kindergarten through fourth will meet with their reading mentors twice a week in the fall, winter, and spring at the museum's bridgehampton and riverside locations. As a result, students will see improvements in their english reading fluency and general vocabulary, increased self-confidence, and improvements in social emotional learning skills.