(Black PR Wire) Since opening its doors in 2007, the Jason Taylor Reading Room, presented by Steven Douglas Associates, has been a valuable resource to the Miramar Community. Located within the Miramar Youth Enrichment Center, the program is a comprehensive after-school program designed to address academic challenges among inner-city youth, particularly in the areas of literacy. Middle school and high school students participate in the program for two hours per day throughout the school year, and are navigated through a rotating academic focus calendar with assistance from a full-time Educational Director, certified teachers and teachers’ aids. The program’s curriculum addresses vocabulary development, reading comprehension, language arts, creative writing skills, oral reading fluency and novel study, as well as ninety minutes of weekly math instruction per grade level. The Reading Room also provides individualized computer assisted learning opportunities and homework support.

Now in its ninth year, the Reading Room currently serves nearly 75 middle and high school students Monday through Thursday, with optional special programming on Fridays including the year round Omari Hardwick bluapple Poetry Corner and six-week courses provided by JTF partner FLIPANY (Florida Introduces Physical Activity and Nutrition to Youth)

The Reading Room has experienced growth in numbers, teachers and programming nearly every year as a result of amazing support from Steven Douglas Associates and it’s Read to Succeed Committee. Led by Steven Douglas Associates Chairman & CEO, Steve Sadaka, the committee is made up of dedicated ambassadors for the after-school program, which is provided at no cost to the students or their families.

As a result of the Read to Succeed committee’s fundraising efforts, the Jason Taylor Foundation has not only been able to sustain and grow the Reading Room, but it has also been afforded the opportunity to expand the depth of our programming beyond the walls of the Youth Enrichment Center. On January 12, 2015, JTF initiated operations at New Renaissance Middle School for the Jason Taylor Learning Center. Starting as a pilot program, the Learning Center was met with great success through the remainder of the 2014-15 school year. The program returned in the fall of the 2015-16 school year as a full-fledged program, with the goal of doubling the number attendees. With this goal nearly met, the JTF has already begun expanding staffing to meet the needs of the students.

The third of its kind, the Jason Taylor Learning Center at New Renaissance Middle School will continue expanding the tremendous success demonstrated by the original Jason Taylor Learning Center at Holtz Children’s Hospital opened in 2004, and the Jason Taylor Reading Room at the Miramar Youth Enrichment Center which opened in 2007.