BROOKLYN, NY—Brooklyn Book Bodega, ExpandED Schools, and Reading Partners have partnered to host a series of free virtual workshops and “Big Book Parties” designed to support literacy at home through the NYC Reads Initiative. This collaboration aligns with the broader goals of the NYC Reads Initiative to enhance literacy culture and help more children enter school ready to learn. Through the program, parents and caregivers will learn practical ways to support learning at home, build strong reading skills, and nurture their children’s literacy development.
Launching on April 14, 2026, the series will begin with the NYC Reads Initiative Science of Reading Program. Six consecutive virtual workshops will be held every Tuesday from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., each focused on one key reading skill. Participants will leave each session with activities they can use to support reading at home immediately. Participants can register here.
Workshops dates and topics include:
- April 14: The Challenges of Learning to Read
- April 21: The Five Domains of Literacy
- April 28: Building Vocabulary & Letter Knowledge
- May 5: Developing Word Consciousness
- May 12: Phonics
- May 19: Building Comprehension by Making Connections
In addition to the virtual workshops, the program includes three Big Book Parties in East New York, Harlem, and South Jamaica. Big Book Parties are a Brooklyn Book Bodega program designed to increase book access while creating opportunities for families to learn and celebrate reading together. At these events, families browse and choose their own free books while enjoying interactive activities with a community-based artist, performer, or creator.
The dates and locations for the Big Book Parties include:
- May 9: Big Book Party at the New York Public Library Harlem Branch from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
- May 9: Big Book Party at the Brooklyn Public Library Arlington Branch from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
- May 16: Big Book Party at the Queens Public Library South Jamaica Branch from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
“Brooklyn Book Bodega is thrilled to collaborate in this collective effort to ensure that more families have access to resources that will help their children become strong readers and build their home libraries. Literacy is directly linked to better academic performance and more opportunities in life, and we’re grateful to be a part of an initiative that helps make that a reality for children across the city,” says Seema Aghera, Chief Operating Officer and Cofounder at Brooklyn Book Bodega.
“We are proud to support families with knowledge and practical tools to strengthen children’s reading skills at home,” says Saskia Traill, President & CEO at ExpandED Schools. “This series is an important component of the NYC Reads Initiative because we are equipping families with tools grounded in the science of reading. The series truly reflects our shared commitment with community partners to expand access to literacy support and promote a culture of reading throughout our neighborhoods.”
“We’re thrilled to collaborate with our partners Brooklyn Book Bodega and ExpandED Schools via the NYC Reads Neighborhood Initiative to deliver free virtual workshops and community-based ‘Big Book Parties’ this spring. Equipping caregivers to become at-home literacy champions, while distributing free books to build home libraries in our communities is a win-win,” says Louisa Moyse, Interim Executive Director at Reading Partners NY
To learn more about this program, visit https://nycreads.org/literacy-events/.
About Brooklyn Book Bodega: Brooklyn Book Bodega’s mission is to increase the number of 100+ book homes for kids 0-18 in NYC. It seeks to improve literacy outcomes and, in turn, life outcomes for New Yorkers. It increases book access and hosts literacy programming—starting, growing, and strengthening home libraries for thousands of children and families—to ensure that the myriad short- and long-term benefits of books and literacy are available to all. Since its inception in December 2018, Brooklyn Book Bodega has helped more than 260,000 New Yorkers build their home libraries, partnered with hundreds of schools, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders across all five boroughs, and given out more than 750,000 books.
About ExpandED Schools: ExpandED Schools is dedicated to ensuring that all young people in New York City have access to enriching programs that affirm their identities, teach valuable skills, and spark new possibilities both in and out of the school day. Since its founding in 1998, when it created the nation’s first citywide system of K–12 afterschool programming, ExpandED Schools has expanded opportunities for more than a million students, tens of thousands of educators, and hundreds of schools and community-based partners. The NYC Reads Initiative, facilitated by ExpandED Schools, is a collaboration of 11 organizations working together in East New York, East Harlem, and South Jamaica to promote early literacy and improve outcomes for children in these communities.
About Reading Partners: For more than 25 years, through its core tutoring program, Reading Partners has supported student growth and confidence in school and beyond by engaging community volunteers to provide proven, individualized literacy tutoring. Since its founding, the national nonprofit organization has directly mobilized over 100,000 community volunteers to provide more than 3 million individualized literacy tutoring sessions—both in person and online—to 90,000+ elementary school students in over 600 under-resourced schools and 120 districts across ten states and the District of Columbia. Visit readingpartners.org to learn more about Reading Partners’ program impact and how the organization is using its online tutoring platform, licensing and training partnerships, family workshops, and other program innovations to positively impact more students. Connect with Reading Partners on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, and Instagram. Reading Partners is a proud AmeriCorps service partner and has been endorsed by The New York Times and featured on The TODAY Show and GMA.
Contact
Brooklyn Book Bodega: Jourdan Hercsek, [email protected], 718.635.3883
ExpandED Schools: Rafael Rivas, [email protected], 424.234.0801
Reading Partners: Jen Peters, [email protected], 510.304.9357