JCRC’s BookMates Trains Camden County Police as Readers for BookMates Interfaith Literacy Program!

BookMates Interfaith Literacy Program provides nurturing, one-to-one literacy experiences for at-risk children, encouraging them to love reading and providing them with a foundation to succeed in school and in life.

The PACER (Police & Congress Enjoy Reading) program is a partnership with the Camden County (Metro Division) and Cherry Hill Police Departments to train police officers to become BookMate readers for Camden City students.

Since its inception in 1999, BookMates has worked to improve literacy skills by providing weekly one-to-one reading sessions with caring adult volunteers for more than 3,000 disadvantaged students in kindergarten through third grade. Many of these children are rarely read to at home and benefit greatly from the volunteers’ individualized attention. As they share the joy of reading, the volunteers also expose the children to a wide range of literature, expand their vocabulary, help improve their comprehension skills, and increase their motivation to read.

In this partnership between the City of Camden, Camden County Police Department (Metro Division), Cherry Hill Police Department, and JCRC of SNJ's BookMates, police officers will be matched with kindergarten students in Camden City elementary schools.  It is our desire to provide these students not only with a specially trained reading partner but also with a mentor, role model, and trusted resource.

Learn More About Becoming a BookMate Reader for Kids in Your Community!