Marching into National Reading Month
RIF teamed up with actor, director, author and lifelong literacy advocate, LeVar Burton to inspire the next generation of readers during National Reading Month! There were awards, book distributions, read alouds, rhinos and more!
Photo credit: Paul Morigi/AP Images for Reading Is Fundamental
This month-long celebration of reading kicked with RIF’s Championing Children’s Literacy event the night before on February 28th. During the event, LeVar was presented with the RIF 2017 Literacy Champion Award in honor of his incredible work to engage all children in the power of literacy. RIF’s Literacy Champion Award recognizes the remarkable contributions of individuals in the field of children’s literacy and the advancement of RIF’s mission.
The support of adults is great, but inspiring children to read is what RIF is all about! We held a book distribution event at Tyler Elementary School in Washington, D.C. on March 1st where LeVar read his children’s book, The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm, and author Kitty Kelley discussed her first children’s book, Martin’s Dream Day about Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic march on Washington and his famous speech.
Photo credit: Paul Morigi/AP Images for Reading Is Fundamental
RIF and LeVar also partnering with the National Education Association (NEA) to distribute 450 books to children on Read Across America Day and discussed the need to address the literacy crisis along with the importance of diverse reading material at the NEA’s Roundtable on Literacy in the United States.
National Reading Month shines a spotlight on the important work we do every day of the year – distributing new, free books and literacy services to the kids and families who need them most. We believe that every child deserves a story to carry around for a lifetime and you can help provide more stories and empower the next generation of readers by donating to Reading Is Fundamental today.