Murfreesboro City Schools is ready to read this summer. As a recipient of two Tennessee Read to be Ready Summer Grants, Murfreesboro City Schools (MCS) will provide free educational camps focusing on rising third graders who need a little extra help in reading during the summer months.

"Summer reading loss can be a big issue in the success of a student," says Caresa Dodson, Reading and Intervention Coordinator. "The camps are designed to be a fun learning experience and will expose students to the best of reading and bring books to life."

Read to be Ready Camps will be held at Bradley Academy, Hobgood Elementary and John Pittard Elementary. Hobgood and John Pittard camps will run from June 19 - July 27. The Bradley camp will run June 12-July 7. All camps are free to MCS students who meet the criteria to enroll. Camps include reading workshops, writing workshops, virtual reality and onsite fieldtrips, plus STEAM programs.

Read to be Ready is a coordinated campaign and approach to increase third grade reading proficiency in Tennessee to 75 percent by 2025 through a variety of initiatives. The campaign seeks to raise awareness about the importance of reading, unite efforts to address low reading achievement, highlight best practices, and build partnerships. The Read to be Ready Summer Grant Program is designed to support students even after the last day of school.

"We have an amazing schedule planned for students," says Jenny Ortiz, Principal, Bradley Academy. "Our students have a chance to participate in activities from fairy tale fiction to under the sea adventures."

MCS's Read to be Ready camps have 65 student openings. It's not too late to register. A few camp slots are still available. For additional information on enrolling students in the Read to be Ready Camps, please email caresa.dodson@cityschools.net.

MCS is proud to partner with TN Department of Education, Read to Succeed, Discovery Center, Linebaugh Library, United Way and MTSU to present the summer reading camps.

Murfreesboro City Schools is a district of twelve schools committed to the academic and personal success of each child. For more information contact Tori England at 615-893-2313.