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Danvers CPAC seeks small grant to pilot inclusive summer reading challenge
Summary
Danvers CPAC presented an inclusive summer reading pilot — with multilingual, neuro‑affirming access kits and in‑school registration — and asked the Friends group for about $500 to seed the project. CPAC also announced its new Impact Awards recognizing inclusion work in schools.
Julie Baldock DeFilippo, chair of the Danvers CPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Council), told the Human Rights and Inclusion Committee on May 21 that the group is planning an inclusive summer reading pilot to reduce barriers for students with access needs.
The program aims to bring summer reading registration and activities directly to Extended School Year (ESY) sites (elementary at Smith School and middle/high school ESY locations), distribute multilingual materials and “access kits” containing large print, visual timers, noise‑reducing headphones and QR‑coded bookmarks linking to library accessibility tools, and run a virtual parent education workshop on June 10. DeFilippo said CPAC will work with Danvers Public Schools and the library on outreach and metrics to measure impact over two years.
During questions, committee members asked whether the pilot targets elementary students only; DeFilippo said CPAC plans separate kits for elementary students and a second set of materials for middle and high school programs as literacy needs evolve. Paul and other committee members encouraged CPAC to submit a written request to the Friends group and discussed a roughly $500 community‑grant ask; committee members indicated informal support pending a formal application.
CPAC also described a new set of Impact Awards recognizing inclusive practice in the district. DeFilippo said the United Impact Award went to Megan White (fourth‑grade teacher, Smith School); the Keystone Award went to Josh Jordan (special education teacher, Danvers High School); and the Catalyst Award honored two Best Buddies student leaders, Ava Patch and Lucy Osborne.
No formal committee vote on the grant request was recorded in the transcript; members directed CPAC to submit a written funding request to the Friends group for consideration. The pilot’s parent workshop is set for June 10, and CPAC said the prototype access kits would be piloted over ESY before being refined for fall distribution to school librarians.
