The “Roots to Rise” initiative in Jamesburg this summer was incredibly successful. At the Jamesburg Public Library, we organized a summer program for students that had two parts: a STEM program and a summer reading program. The STEM program focused on teaching science through creativity and engaging hands-on activities. Students learned how to make boats that float, practiced structural design with spaghetti towers, created an obstacle course, and made sunprints.
The summer reading program also had an impact on young learners in Jamesburg. With every book our students read, they added a link to a paper chain, and by the end of the summer, we had chains draped all around the library, symbolizing the hundreds of books our students had read. Rather than offering a creative writing activity, which was originally considered for the summer, we discovered a real need for art education in town. We added a series of activities to dovetail with the summer reading program, including the “Art from the Heart” series where students learned about and created art in the style of Monet, Pollock, Klee, Kandinsky, Matisse, and others. The art created by the children now hangs in our community center space, and through this program, they gained basic techniques and an overall appreciation for art.
Another important development was that, instead of a college success workshop series—originally planned for the library—we identified another pressing need early on: ESL classes for the community. We launched a weekly program that taught English basics to a diverse group of learners from Mexico, Ukraine, Poland, and Central America. Since many of our learners were parents, we ensured they did not have to worry about childcare by offering craft activities. The children created crafts and made friends while their parents learned English. This environment also fostered cross-cultural communication, bringing together individuals and groups who otherwise might not have interacted.
As a whole, the educational empowerment aspect of the summer initiative was a great success. Learners of all ages gained access to resources through the library they otherwise would not have had—from STEM, reading, and art programs for young learners to ESL classes and cross-cultural learning opportunities for adult learners.
There was also considerable success with the community engagement and improvement leg of the summer imitative. Jamesburg’s parks, waterways, and downtown area were in need of cleanup and care for a lengthy period of time. I organized a cleanup of our watershed area that included community volunteers from middle schoolers to adults, who pitched in to clean up the area. We removed litter and debris, including metal, tires, and countless other items that had been dumped and posed a danger by obstructing water flow.
Jamesburg’s downtown area also needed attention. Beautification efforts had been underway in partnership with the town government, the newly formed Downtown Jamesburg revitalization organization, and code enforcement to address ongoing issues such as improperly maintained storefronts. As part of this overall effort, we organized a downtown cleanup similar in style to the watershed cleanup. The Downtown Jamesburg group, of which I am a member, also launched an adopt-a-planter program to beautify the downtown area. It was a huge success, and funds for this project helped pay for several planters.
These summer initiatives made a significant difference in Jamesburg—a small, often under-resourced, blue-collar town with immense potential for the future. We can measure the results of these projects not just in their tangible outcomes like clean parks and planters, but also in their lasting impact: the schoolchildren who discovered a love for art, the immigrant mothers who learned new English words, and the neighbors of all ages who came together, learned from each other, and strengthened their community bonds.