Equal Opportunities Bike Initiative

In 2019, only 44 percent of Worcester third graders were proficient readers; in 2023, only 40 percent were able readers. Persistent academic achievement gaps exist among students of different races, ethnicities, and incomes.

We encourage literacy, build confidence, and empower children through social justice
and civic education. From a child’s perspective, sometimes it’s hard to understand why things work out a certain way. We want all children to know that their voices count and matter!

What makes the Free Worcesters Social Justice Literacy program different? Our approach is highly interactive and deeply rooted in the belief that building a
sustainable community and destigmatizing social issues are collective efforts. Using
books and art to present complex social problems, we combine social justice and literacy by gently encouraging children to ask questions that challenge the dominant narrative, help counteract negative stereotypes and messages they may receive from society and empowering them to take an active role in their learning.

Our Social Justice Literacy Program fosters confidence, curiosity, and engagement by removing the stigma often associated with issues they don’t understand that impact them.

Through Free Worcester’s Social Justice Literacy Initiatives, we actively build a reading culture and literacy, foster youth activism, and prevent the school-to-prison pipeline.

Readers are Future Leaders. Reading can help children improve their memory and increase their vocabulary. It can also help them learn to use words to describe feelings, which can help them control their behavior.

Reading can also help children develop empathy, curiosity, and patience, understand how stories work, and develop listening skills. It can also help children develop communication skills and character.