STATEHOUSE – State Representative Matt Lehman (R-Berne), along with House Speaker Brian C. Bosma (R-Indianapolis) and fellow House legislators and staff, joined students at the Shepherd Community Center in Indianapolis to read to students as part of a bipartisan House service day.
House members read children’s books to underprivileged kindergartners and first and second grade students at Shepherd Community. The Shepherd Community Center is dedicated to supporting impoverished children in the fight against poverty.
“A young Hoosier’s early years are a highly formative and influential time to lay a path for future their success,” said Rep. Lehman. “Many of the students at Shepherd Community Center come from low-income families that are less likely to receive a quality early education, which is why the work they are doing is not only admirable but crucial.
Children living in poverty are more likely to be further behind their peers when they begin their K-12 education. These children are less likely to be enrolled in pre-K programs or have meaningful educational experiences prior to entering kindergarten. A child in an impoverished family is read to an average of 25 hours before they start kindergarten, compared to an average of 1,000 hours for children of middle-class families.
“I am encouraged by the work that Shepard Community Center is doing,” said Rep. Lehman. “I am proud to support such an honorable organization.”
More information about Shepherd Community Center can be found on their website at www.shepherdcommunity.org.
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