Read Across America Builds Literacy, Connection, and School Pride Across Erie Public Schools
Read Across America was brought to life in powerful ways across multiple United Way Community Schools during March, creating joyful and meaningful opportunities for students to engage with books, caring adults, and their broader school communities. At Diehl, guest readers visited classrooms from pre-K through grade 4 for Dr. Seuss Day, while 5th grade students participated in a school transition activity with the East Middle School Principal and CSD focused on writing letters to their future selves. At JoAnna Connell, 30 guest readers, including former teachers, business leaders, and community partners, helped make reading visible and exciting throughout the building. Lincoln celebrated with a full spirit week, a family BINGO for Books night, a book fair with Werner Books, and a visit from C. Wolf and the Erie SeaWolves Reading Club. At Erie High, students in partnership with Skills USA traveled to Perry, Lincoln, and Harding to read to younger students, creating a moment of leadership, service, and connection between current students and future Erie High Royals.
Together, these efforts show how literacy-centered programming can strengthen school culture, encourage family engagement, and build a stronger K-12 sense of community across the district.
Aligns with Community School Pillars:
Expanded Learning and Extracurricular Activities | Family Engagement and Support | School Transitions and Life Preparedness
Edison’s Career Speaker Series Continues to Expand Students’ View of What is Possible
Edison Elementary hosted the third installment of its Career Speaker Series in March, once again turning classrooms into places of inspiration, discovery, and real-world learning. Volunteers visited classrooms to share their professional experiences, educational journeys, and personal passions, helping students connect what they are learning in school to a wide range of future pathways. This round of speakers represented an especially broad cross-section of careers, including public safety professionals, business leaders, social service providers, culinary entrepreneurs, childcare professionals, and Erie Public Schools leadership. From a Blue Coat to the owner of Bakery on 5th, firefighters to the district’s Chief Financial Officer, students were exposed to adults whose work looked different, but whose message was consistent: their future matters, and many paths are available to them. By continuing to bring career-connected experiences directly into the school day, Edison is helping students build awareness, curiosity, and
confidence at an early age.
Aligns with Community School Pillars:
Expanded Learning and Extracurricular Activities | School Transitions and Life Preparedness
Wilson’s Career Quest Gives Students Direct Access to Professionals and Future Pathways
Wilson Middle School partnered with National Fuel on March 18 to host its third annual Career Quest event, creating a valuable opportunity for students to explore future careers through direct interaction with working professionals. Throughout the day, students visited the fair during related arts periods and spoke with volunteers representing nine different National Fuel departments. Those conversations helped students better understand the wide variety of roles that exist within a single company while also reinforcing the importance of the decisions they make now in shaping future opportunities. Volunteers from Junior Achievement and Wabtec Girls also participated, broadening students’ exposure to additional programs and pathways available to them. More than a traditional career fair, the event gave students a chance to ask questions, make connections, and begin seeing themselves in future roles they may never have considered before. Through events like Career Quest, Wilson continues to strengthen student engagement while making postsecondary and career readiness feel more real and attainable.
Aligns with Community School Pillars:
School Transitions and Life Preparedness | Expanded Learning and Extracurricular Activities | Family and Community Partnerships
Other Notable Highlights
Below is a snapshot of additional activities happening across Erie Public Schools through the Community School
Model. These efforts are funded and/or coordinated by Community School Directors in partnership with school teams
and community partners. This is just a glimpse of the work we do each and every month!
Diehl:
Partnered with Title I and PLAYtime to host a Reading and Math Parent Workshop, equipping families with practical tools, tips, and resources to support learning at home while also providing child care activities during the session.
East:
Launched a new Dungeons & Dragons Club in response to student interest, giving students a new after-school opportunity centered on collaboration, creativity, and meaningful enrichment.
Edison:
More than 60 family members, alumni, and community partners participated in a tour of the new Edison building, celebrating the school’s new space and the community investment that helped bring it to life.
Erie High:
United Way took 40 Erie High students with a 3.5 GPA or higher to the Junior Achievement EmpowerHer Summit, where they networked with professionals, explored careers and leadership, and participated in resume-building workshops.
Grover Cleveland:
Welcomed more than 150 current students, former students, and family members to a private Family Night at the Erie Children’s Museum, reinforcing school connection and the message that once a Cougar, always a Cougar.
Harding:
2nd grade students attended a performance of Junie B. Jones at the Erie Playhouse through United Way funding, creating a memorable enrichment experience made even more special by cheering on a classmate in the production.
Jefferson:
Jefferson hosted a highly attended Family BINGO Night, bringing students, families, and staff together for an evening of fun, prizes, and community-building. The event created a welcoming opportunity for families to connect with one another and with the school in a positive setting outside the regular school day.
JoAnna Connell:
Wrapped up quarter 3 STEM Club with students exploring creative problem-solving, app building, testing, and user experience through the GoIT curriculum provided in partnership with Erie Insurance, and United Way of Erie County.
Lincoln:
Lincoln completed quarter 3 after-school enrichment with 53 unduplicated students participating in programs including Challenge 24, Cooking with Metz, Basketball, and Mini Money Masters with Erie Federal Credit Union.
McKinley:
McKinley hosted its 2nd Annual Multicultural Music Festival and Art Gallery family event, celebrating the school’s diverse student population through music, art, henna, desserts, and student-created work.
Perry:
Introduced Reading Rockstars, a new literacy initiative recognizing students who scored at or above benchmark on their DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) assessments and celebrating top readers with shirts, prizes, and family photo opportunities.
Pfeiffer-Burleigh:
The Robotics Club wrapped up its season with a Family Showcase, where students demonstrated coding and robotics projects developed over 12 weeks with volunteer support from Erie Insurance.
Strong Vincent Middle School:
Staff visited Grover Cleveland during Read Across America week to introduce 5th grade students to the middle school through a fun, Dr. Seuss-style transition activity designed to build familiarity and excitement. The activity helped introduce students to Strong Vincent while providing a welcoming and
engaging transitional support experience as they prepare for middle school.
Wilson Middle School:
The 6th grade class traveled to PennWest Edinboro to attend an Erie Jackals basketball game, giving many students their first opportunity to leave the City of Erie and experience a live professional sporting event.
Recent Strategic Partnership
Erie Arts and Culture's Educational Passport Program (funded through Erie Insurance grant funding) brings the art community directly to K–5 students across Erie. This program partners with six local organizations: the expERIEnce Children's Museum, Erie Philharmonic, Erie Playhouse, Hagen History Center, Erie Art Museum, and Tall Ships Erie. Together, they provide students at McKinley and Pfeiffer-Burleigh Elementaries in the city, and Elk Valley and Union City Elementaries in the county, with in-school enrichment visits and field trips.
Making these experiences a reality for Community Schools students takes significant behind- the-scenes coordination and strong partnerships. Before trips started in January, Community School Directors and United Way backbone staff met with EA&C staff all throughout the fall to get details to create positive experiences for students with no costs for families and students. Field trips and in-class experiences will wrap up in May, but the memories will last a lifetime!