Area businessman giving tablets to 20 YCSD students
Businessman Kelan Bilal’s wants Youngstown City School District scholars to continue to read and learn during the summer.
With the coronavirus pandemic changing the way all students are learning, Bilal's wanted to make sure that the city students continue with their studies and reading during the summer break.
“Even though everything was shut down preventing this year’s B.R.I.D.G.E. Barbers program from launching, I still wanted to be able to get some type of learning tools in some kids’ hands,” said Bilal, owner of Excalibur Barber Grooming Lounge and the founder of the B.R.I.D.G.E. Barbers program. “I was saddened because in the barbershop, we had to remove all of the books because of COVID-19 so it made me think alternatively.”
That’s when he decided to provide Amazon Fire tablets to students. Bilal then contacted Justin Jennings, chief executive officer of the Youngstown City School District, about getting the tablets to YCSD scholars.
B.R.I.D.G.E., or Barbershop Reading Initiative Developing Growth in Education, is in its third year in the Mahoning Valley. B.R.I.D.G.E. aims to encourage young people to read. It’s an initiative among urban barbers to help emphasize the importance of youth reaching and maintaining their appropriate reading level by third grade.
“With these, favorite books can be downloaded, including audible versions that may be more interactive,” Bilal explained.
“Literacy continues to be an emphasis for us at YCSD,” CEO Jennings said. “Literacy, which includes reading, writing, comprehension and fluency, provides the foundation for everything else. We’re so thankful for Mr. Bilal’s contribution. He’s truly a business and community leader who recognizes the importance of quality education and participates in helping our school district provide it. We appreciate that and we appreciate him.”
Bilal worked with Linda Hoey, YCSD’s chief of family engagement, to identify 20 kindergarten-through-third-grade scholars throughout the district who will receive the tablets.
“We have family engagement coordinators at each of our school buildings,” Hoey said. “They identified scholars in each of our elementary schools who they thought would get the most from Mr. Bilal’s generous contribution.”
The families of the 20 students will be able to pick up their tablets at 3 p.m. Monday, June 15, at Excalibur Barber Grooming Lounge inside the Southern Park Mall.
