MEDIA ADVISORY
Thursday, June 11, 2025
Contact:
Cindy Carr, AFTPA, ccarr@aftpa.org
ADVISORY: AFT Pennsylvania, AFT, Allentown Federation of Paraprofessionals To Host Free Summer Celebration Community Event
Speakers Include AFT EVP DeJesus, AFTPA Pres. Coleman, ASD Superintendent Birks, Sen. Miller, Reps. Schlossberg, Cepeda-Fretiz, Tiburcio
ALLENTOWN – This Saturday, AFT Pennsylvania, AFT national, and the Allentown Federation of Paraprofessionals (AFP) #1716 will be hosting a special event celebrating the start of summer and providing free resources – including 4,000 free children’s books – for students and the community in Allentown. The event, which is being hosted as part of AFT’s Reading Opens the World campaign, is in partnership with AFT’s Paraprofessional and School-Related Personnel division, the Allentown School District, State Representative Ana Tiburcio, the Pennsylvania Legislative Latino Caucus, UNIDOS, UNIDOS US Action Fund, Mega 101.7 Allentown, and Counseling Solutions of Lehigh Valley. The flyer is at the bottom of this advisory, and the event will be rain or shine.
WHAT: AFTPA paraprofessionals and students, staff, families, and the Allentown community will launch a summer of learning and fun for “Sliding Into Summer: Celebrating Allentown students, school staff, families, and community.”
WHEN: Saturday, June 13, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; remarks beginning around 11:20 a.m.
WHERE: Sonia Sotomayor Dual Language Immersion Academy
2020 E Pennsylvania Street, Allentown, PA 18109
Grassy area behind the school
WHO:
- AFT Executive Vice President Evelyn DeJesus
- AFT President Wendy G. Coleman
- Allentown School District Superintendent Dr. Carol D. Birks
- State Senator Nick Miller
- State Representative Michael Schlossberg
- State Representative Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz
- State Representative Ana Tiburcio
RSVP: Media planning to attend should RSVP to Cindy Carr at ccarr@aftpa.org.
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