The Transylvania Times -

First United Methodist Church has received a grant from The Duke Endowment to host a summer literacy program designed to help early readers avoid the learning loss that can happen over the long school break. Along with nine other rural North Carolina congregations, First United Methodist Church will offer the program to early elementary school students this summer.

Research shows that if students aren’t learning during the summer, they can lose ground academically. Consequences can be cumulative and long-lasting – and the gap is often harder to close once it opens.

In 2012, the Endow...