YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Some Youngstown City School District students received tablets to encourage them to read.

The tablets were donated by local businessman Kelan Bilal, who owns Excalibur Barber Grooming Lounge inside the Southern Park Mall.

The donation was made as part of the Barbers Reading Initiative Developing Growth in Education (B.R.I.D.G.E.) program.

It was started three years ago by urban barbers and emphasizes the importance of children reaching their appropriate reading level by third grade.

While the coronavirus changed protocols for barbershops, with changes that included removing books from the shop, Bilal said he had to think alternatively and decided to purchase Amazon Fire tablets.

He then contacted Youngstown Schools CEO Justin Jennings to get the tablets to students.

"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.

Bilal worked with the district to identify 20 students from kindergarten through third grade who received the tablets.

"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."