2025 Reading on the Rails Event: "Sea LINC Read" Makes a Splash at Coney Island

We did it! On Tuesday, July 22, over 300 Literacy in Community (LINC) families read their way across the five boroughs during LINC’s 11th Annual Reading on the Rails event, showing the world that reading can take place anywhere. 

A sea of families in blue t-shirts streamed into Coney Island’s Stillwell Station, coming from almost every train line (and the Staten Island Ferry!) to make their way to this year’s final destination, the Coney Island Boardwalk. 

At LINC, we know that reading that can take place anywhere - on the subway or bus; in bodegas and markets; at the laundromat and in waiting rooms; in local parks and playgrounds; and especially on the way to the beach. 

Our goal is to inspire all parents and caregivers of young children to embrace how they can promote learning and literacy in ordinary places throughout the summer months. 

And we did it, with the support of our board, our partners, our elected officials, and our staff, our families.

You may have seen the Bronx Borough President, Vanessa Gibson (photo above) reading to LINC’s Fordham community on the D train at 8:00am. Or maybe you caught a glimpse of Nurys De Oleo, Senior Advisor of Councilmember Carmen De La Rosa, traveling with the Inwood team. Assemblymember Amanda Septimo joined our friends and partners from the JCCA Mott Haven Community Partnership on the 5 train and Deputy Brooklyn Borough President Kim Council spoke to our attendees at Teura Restaurant in Coney Island.

The message was loud and clear! LINC creates community around reading, connecting families with each other and with educational resources that are already present in their communities. Children experience reading and literacy-rich activities as fun at the same time they build skills and routines that will help them be “school-ready.” 

Little kids' brains keep growing during the summer and they need continued stimulation to support healthy brain development. Each July, Reading on the Rails shines a light on the vital role that summer learning plays for our youngest pre-readers. 

In line with Sea LINC Read’s 2025 motif, each LINC community represented a different sea creature from crabs to sharks which they sported proudly during the LINC Sea Parade. For the grand finale, all families received a copy of Penguin Random House's children’s book When Water Flows by Aida Salazar in a clownfish bag and the option to tour the New York Aquarium for free that day. 

We are incredibly grateful to our sponsor, Iovino Enterprises, Teura Restaurant, and to all of our families, staff, partners, and supporters who contributed to this tremendous citywide effort. 

For more information, contact Karen Rogel, Director of Strategic Initiatives at krogel@lincnyc.org.