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Collingswood Students Tour PATCO as Part of the DRPA/PATCO’s ReadStrong Mentoring Program

To celebrate the 40th Anniversary of PATCO, approximately 40, elementary school students from Good Shepherd School in Collingswood, NJ participated in DRPA’s ReadStrong Mentoring Program on April 28. The event began with a guided train ride from their school to PATCO’s Lindenwold Station. Once there, the students were given a tour of PATCO’s Lindenwold maintenance facility and then it was back on the train for a visit to PATCO’s Woodcrest station for fun learning activities focusing on transportation.

“We are proud to open our doors to the students of Good Shepherd School,” says PATCO President John J. Matheussen.  “Through our ReadStrong program we are able to strengthen our impact on the community by developing meaningful educational experiences.”

“As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of PATCO, it is important that we continue to educate the youth on the importance of public transportation and the vital role that transit will play for years to come,” says PATCO General Manager, Robert A. Box. 

ReadStrong is a reading and literacy mentoring program lead by DRPA/PATCO staff that provides elementary school children the opportunity to experience learning activities outside the classroom. Our goal is to allow students to experience the excitement of a field trip and the anticipation of learning in a new environment. The learning activities reflect the school's social studies and language arts curriculum. 

DRPA provided free tickets for the train.

The Delaware River Port Authority is a regional transportation agency.  DRPA owns and operates the Benjamin Franklin, Walt Whitman, Commodore Barry and Betsy Ross bridges, and PATCO, the Philadelphia Cruise Terminal and the RiverLink Ferry.

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