Garey High School teachers and student leaders on Sept. 10 presented Cafecito Con Libros, a voluntary literacy program, to the Pomona Unified School District Board of Education and invited board members to the program's kickoff next week.

Cynthia Sanchez, an English teacher at Garey High School and chair of Cafecito Con Libros, told the board the program marked its fifth anniversary this year and "Cafecitos Con Libros was trademarked this year." She said 803 students had registered for the voluntary program at Garey.

Student participant Victoria Mercado told the board the program helped her regain an interest in reading. "Before I could barely finish one book in an entire school year, but since joining the program, I've read three books in one year," Mercado said, and reported her Lexile score as "1405, which exceeds my grade level." She listed books she had read, including I'm Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, The Distance Between Us and Poet X.

Pedro Zaragoza, president of Cafecito Con Libros at Garey, and Leonardo Dela Cruz, the vice president, described two signature events: an annual kickoff where students receive chosen books and an author event in January where students meet authors whose books they read. Zaragoza invited board members to the kickoff scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 17 at 12:30 p.m. in the Garey High School quad.

Monica Principe, who introduced the group at the meeting, and Superintendent Darren Knowles later praised the students and encouraged board members to attend the presentations. Principe noted the district's presentations and audits of instructional materials elsewhere on the agenda; Knowles said seeing authors present to students "was very powerful" and encouraged attendance.

Program leaders emphasized the role of culturally relevant literature in engaging students and described author visits and campus events as core to the program's campus culture.

Garey student performers also appeared at the meeting; the board thanked the students and encouraged district support for arts and reading programs.