New 'Barbershop Books' program in Martin County aims to raise child literacy levels

Posted on Jul 26, 2022

A new program in Martin County is encouraging more kids to pick up a book and read.

It’s called Barbershop Books, and it places little libraries inside local minority-owned barbershops. It also provides early literacy training to barbers who participate.

The goal is to raise literacy levels for young boys of color.

“The Martin County Board of County Commissioners were able to get a grant through the American Rescue Plan funds to allow us to expand on at-home libraries, especially in underserved areas. And so, we thought that Barbershop Books would be a great thing to fund,” said Darlene Encomio, Martin County Library System’s literacy education and outreach manager.

Encomio first pitched the idea after watching a TED Talk given by the founder of Barbershop Books, which is a nationwide initiative.

Now, Martin County has partnered with seven minority-owned barbershops to bring the program to life on the Treasure Coast.

The goal is to reach children and families where they live, work, and play.

“By reaching out to barber shops, you're going to be able to get dads and young boys to interact with books in a place where they would normally go and perhaps a place they wouldn't normally have access to books,” said Marybeth Peña, a consultant for Martin County Library’s Barbershop Books program.

The county is especially focused on young boys of color.

“The reading levels have been shown to be not at the not at the standard where they need to be. And we know that kids who are able to read by the first and third grade do much better in the long term,” Peña said.

According to data on the 2019 Nation's Report Card compiled by the National Assessment of Educational Progress, 85% of Black 8th grade students lack proficiency in reading skills.

“If you want your community to thrive, why not try and increase those literacy rates, especially among some of the lowest rates within the community?” Encomio said.

One of the barbershops participating is Kelsey’s Barbershop in Stuart.

Owner Kelsey McFadden has been a professional barber for 15 years, cutting hair all along the treasure coast.

“I love barbering. I love cutting hair, and I just love making people feel good,” McFadden said.

He also loves kids, which is why he’s thrilled about the new addition of a bookshelf to his barbershop.

McFadden said the bookshelf has already been a big hit in his shop, and he’s hoping the program has a big impact on the community.

“When I was in school, I really didn't like reading books. But now that I'm older, and I read books more, and I see the joy it brings in kids when they read books they like, and I just hope that every barbershop around here could do the same thing,” McFadden said.

Barbershop Books currently has funding for a year through American Rescue Plan funds. The library system is looking for more funding to keep it going.

Anyone interested in donating should contact the Martin County Library System.

Original article: New 'Barbershop Books' program in Martin County aims to raise child literacy levels