Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Brandon Boykin stopped by Prince Hall Elementary in West Oak Lane two weeks ago to advocate for child literacy. Boykin along with the Eagles Youth Partnership teamed up for the Read! By 4th campaign.

“We are excited and honored that athletes like Brandon Boykins are willing to what they can to help improve literacy in our schools,” said School District of Philadelphia superintendent Dr. William Hite. “This campaign and its supporters are what our schools need to help get students on track for academic success.”

Boykin will serve as the campaign’s first Philadelphia icon, and he will appear on sports radio and in the media giving tips on how parents can help their children become great readers. Boykin will use his social media platforms to encourage parents to “#DoThe22” by spending 22 minutes every day reading and interacting with their children. He will also work with Eagles Youth Partnership’s Book Mobile by making appearances at local elementary schools to promote the importance of literacy.

“It’s important for us to invest in our future and [the] future is our youth,” Boykin said. “An essential tool for them is the ability to read and comprehend. In order to help the children of our city develop and succeed in school, we need to spend time reading with them and encouraging them, which is why I’m proud to be joining this campaign.”

As Boykin signed autographs for the children, he reflected on how his parents viewed the importance of him being a good reader and student.

“Reading is going to take you so far because it applies to every single part of your life,” Boykin said. “When I was a kid, my mom and dad made sure education came above everything else. Sports were like a privilege, as long as my grades were good then I was able to play.”

To motivate children to read and spread the campaign’s message, Eagles Youth Partnership will donate 12,000 posters promoting literacy and featuring Boykin to be posted in every kindergarten through third grade public school classroom, early childhood programs, recreation centers and libraries across the city.

The Eagles Youth Partnership will also continue their commitment to reach more than 35,000 children each year through the Eagles Book Mobile, which travels to hundreds of schools ad other locations around the city each year to encourage reading and to distribute free books.

“We are thrilled that the Eagles Youth Partnership has made a commitment to this campaign,” said president and CEO of the Urban Affairs Coalition Sharmain Matlock-Turner. “We know that athletes are some of our students’ first role models, and we hope that more athletes and others will step forward to carry the torch for literacy in our city.

Fifty public and private companies, non-profit organizations and public agencies will be uniting through the campaign to develop a multi-year strategy that will help fourth-grade students read on grade level by 2020. Reaching that goal will ensure nearly every child will enter fourth grade with the basic skills for school success. The campaign also hopes to recruit more sports and entertainment icons to reinforce the importance of early literacy and the fun of reading.

“Brandon is a hero on and off the field,” said executive director of Public Citizens and Youth Donna Cooper. “I hope that other famous and successful Philadelphians will follow Brandon’s example and use their status to motivate our city’s children to read so they, too, can become successful adults.”

The Philadelphia Tribune – October 29, 2014 – Read article online