[kids-lib] Merkley & Wyden Introduce Federal Legislation => Summer Learning and Meals Act of 2018

[Jennifer Maurer]

Please pardon the multiple cross-postings, but I thought many people might be interested in this.

Hi,
The following quoted information is from a press release<https://www.summerlearning.org/10-things-parents-can-do-to-help-their-child-start-the-school-year-strong-july-2018-2/> on the National Summer Learning Association website.
"Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today introduced the Summer Learning and Meals Act of 2018, new legislation to help close the summer learning gap by keeping school libraries open at schools that already serve free summer meals. The legislation is based on a successful state-based pilot program, Oregon's Summer Learning Partnership...

... the Summer Learning and Meals Act of 2018 would create a new Federal grant program that provides grants to state libraries to allow schools with summer lunch programs to keep their libraries open for student use during the summer months.

Specifically, the new grant program established by the Summer Learning and Meals Act would:
*         Be run by the Department of Education;
*         Provide grants to state libraries to fund summer reading programs at schools that 1) have a summer lunch program and 2) where at least 50% of students read below grade level or are at risk of reading below grade levels;
*         Enable state library programs to award sub-grants based on the proposed number of school lunch sites and the number of students that will be served under the summer early reading program;
*         Require agencies receiving grants to submit yearly reports regarding the progress made in achieving the purposes of the grant or sub-grant to the Secretary;
*         Be authorized at $5 million in funding for each of the fiscal years 2019 through 2023..."
The same press release is available on Merkley's website<https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-wyden-introduce-bill-to-close-summer-learning-gap_->, and Wyden tweeted<https://twitter.com/RonWyden/status/1025043471185444866> about his support. OregonASK<https://oregonask.org/> is dedicated to improving out-of-school time for Oregon children, and they support the legislation, as well. You can track the bill's progress on Congress.gov<https://www.congress.gov/> once it is added to the site.
Thank you to Katie Anderson at WCCLS for the heads up about this legislation. The OLA Legislative Committee is tracking this. If anything develops, one of them or I will keep you posted.
Jen
Jen Maurer, MLS
School Library Consultant
jennifer.maurer at state.or.us<mailto:jennifer.maurer at state.or.us> | 503-378-5011 | www.oregon.gov/osl/ld<http://www.oregon.gov/osl/ld>
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