Brooks Announces $50,000 Grant For Local Literacy Program

Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks joined Mercier Literacy Program founder
George Mercier to announce that Monroe County will award funding to the non-profit to be
used to expand its literacy program to additional Rochester City Schools. County
Executive Brooks presented a check to children who participate in the summer program at
Rochester City School #45.

Monroe County is contributing $50,000 to the Mercier Literacy Program through a grant
from the County’s Department of Human Services. George Mercier will partially match the
County’s grant by donating $25,000.

“The Mercier Literacy Program delivers high-quality reading and writing instruction to our
community’s youth,” said County Executive Brooks. “The money we present to this
program today represents the culmination of a unique public-private partnership. Together
with George Mercier and our other community partners, we are ensuring a bright future for
these young people and I couldn’t be more proud of our spirit of cooperation. A strong
education is the key to success for our children, and this support will bring them one step
closer to achieving their dreams.”

Currently, the literacy program is offered to students at Rochester City School #9 through
the “Camp Read-a-Lot” initiative and summer reading program. County grant money will
enable the Mercier Literacy Program to include another Rochester City School in their
intensive reading program.

“We are so pleased to receive this contribution from Monroe County and can’t wait to enroll
more children in the program,” said George Mercier, founder of the Mercier Literacy
Program. “The need in this community is great when it comes to ensuring that our kids
know how to read. There are all sorts of funding streams out there for college scholarships,
but if these kids don’t know how to read, they’ll never get that opportunity”.

The Mercier Literacy Program was founded in 2002, and is the only community-based
nonprofit focused exclusively on child literacy. The program is operated through a
partnership between Rochester City School #9 and Nazareth College. All teachers in the
program hold master’s degrees and New York State teaching certifications, and many also
have experience in special education, literacy, and early childhood development.

For more information on the Mercier Literacy Program, contact Katie Paxton-Johnson at
(585) 424-3333.