Marcus is getting ahead!

Thank you for your donation towards education supplies that will be used by Marcus, who is enrolled in the Friends of the Children New York Academic Summer Camp in New York City. Marcus is five years old and he is one of the youngest Achievers to join FoC. Like all of the children invited to enroll in the program, Marcus was already in the bottom quartile of his kindergarten class and experiencing a high degree of social exclusion and anxiety.

The FoC academic summer camp has the objective of getting Achievers caught up on basic literacy and math skills. Studies indicate that children who are not reading at grade level by the time they reach the third grade will be perpetually behind during the middle and high school years. The program’s intensive focus on reading and math gives young Achievers the skills they will need to become successful in school.

In addition to the summer programming, Marcus will have 12 years of support and encouragement through Friends of the Children NY.  After the summer is over, he will be paired with a full-time professional Youth Advocate, the “Friend,” whose job is to be a source of emotional and social support. Further, he will benefit from education and social service referrals, which will enable him to be a part of other afterschool programs that fit his needs and interests.

Thanks so much for taking an interest in Marcus’ education – because of donations like yours, Marcus can learn while also having fun this summer. Your generosity has provided him with a foundation in which to build a strong academic career, and he will not fall through the cracks like so many other children in Harlem.