Reading Is Fundamental is excited about a 90th anniversary being celebrated this year! Whose anniversary? Scholastic!
This anniversary will be one filled with programs and events, but the launch of a global literacy campaign leads the way, a campaign that says each of us should READ EVERY DAY. LEAD A BETTER LIFE. With the increasing focus for children in particular on the “learning to read” and “reading to learn” components of this activity we call reading, I agree with Scholastic we all, children and adults, need to be reminded to read some every day outside the “required” types of reading…at RIF we still believe reading should be FUN for all ages!
The foundation of this campaign will be the Scholastic Reading Bill of Rights; I encourage you to review this Bill of Rights, it has a great deal to say to each of us. Phrases that caught my attention immediately were:
Both “nonfiction” and “literature” as necessary components of a individual’s reading menu
The importance of knowing how to “analyze, interpret, understand information”
Each child having a “textual lineage” which is a “reading and writing autobiography” which in short says “You Are What You Read.”
And the “belief” stated that is the very mission of RIF when it notes, “…every child should be able to choose and own the books they want to read, for that choice builds literacy confidence – the ability to read, write and speak about what they know, what they feel, and who they are.”
You will also find accompanying the Reading Bill of Rights, when you click on “LIVE IT,” a check list of ways you can build on this campaign. In October, because as noted “you are what you read,” you will be invited to list the 5 out of millions of books you have read that have most shaped your life….start making your list now!
There is a big, big event exclusively for schools coming up in October, October 27 to be precise! Read Now! with Taylor Swift will be a webcast, again exclusively for schools in the U. S. and around the world, with Taylor participating in a live interview and taking questions followed by a closing live performance! Encourage your school to register now for this webcast. PLUS, 10 lucky students with guardians will attend the event LIVE at Scholastic headquarters in New York with all expenses paid. Read about the essay contest which will determine those lucky 10 students! ENTRY DEADLINE IS SEPTEMBER 20.
It is going to be an exciting year, one that RIF is delighted to support as we move toward our own 45th Anniversary in November 2011. Thank you, Scholastic, for reminding all of us to “chill a bit” and READ EVERY DAY. LEAD A BETTER LIFE.
Maria Menounos reads with kids at the "Nestle Share the Joy Reading Program" kickoff event.
Yesterday, Nestlé launched a new charitable initiative, “The Nestlé Share the Joy of Reading Program,” to support RIF’s national mission of helping kids discover the joy of reading. The program kicked off with a special guest reader at Los Angeles Public Library’s Robertson Branch—Maria Menounos, actress, filmmaker, and Access Hollywood special correspondent. Menuonos, who read several books to the children, commented, “Reading has played a major role in my life—I wouldn’t be where I am today if my parents hadn’t read to me growing up and stressed the importance of reading on my own at an early age.”
While “The Nestlé Share the Joy of Reading Program” will be donating to RIF, it also gives Nestlé customers the chance to win a wide range of prizes. Through this program, they can help a RIF kid receive a new book every time they open a variety of specially marked Nestlé products. By entering the package promotion code inside specially marked Nestlé candy bags at http://rif.celebrationcorner.com/, they’ll have a chance to become an instant winner of a $10 book certificate. And, they’ll be entered into a monthly $5,000 cash drawing.
Each time a person enters a valid package promotion code to play the instant win game, Nestlé will donate 10¢ to RIF. Nestlé will also donate a book in the form of $2 to RIF for each valid instant win prize claimed. Specially marked Nestlé product bags are currently in stores nationwide and will be available until the program ends in December 2011 or while supplies last. During that time, Nestlé will donate up to $250,000 to RIF, with a minimum guarantee of $100,000—and the more people play, the more money Nestlé will donate! So the next time you want to satisfy your sweet tooth, look for the specially marked Nestlé bags.
Happy Reading (while enjoying a sweet treat!),
Carol
For the third year, RIF and US Airways have teamed up for the “Fly with US. Read with Kids.®” campaign to promote the importance of reading with children.
If you’ve participated in the past, you know that a very fun part of this campaign is the Read with Kids Challenge, where participants log the number of minutes they spend reading to children. This year, our nationwide goal is reading with kids for 10 million minutes between September 1 and October 31. Think of the incredible benefits kids will receive by spending quality time with you and some good books!
When you join the Challenge and begin logging your minutes, you’ll be eligible to win weekly prizes, travel gift cards, and the grand prize of a US Airways Vacations package to the Walt Disney World® Resort. In addition, if you make a donation to RIF through the campaign, you can receive up to 5,000 Dividend Miles from US Airways. And free downloadable resources, like bookmarks featuring Maisy our campaign “Spokesmouse,” can help you spread the word to your friends and family.
As you can see, there’s a great deal to take advantage of in this campaign. Welcome aboard, and enjoy some wonderful reading adventures with the children in your life.
RIF staff Caroline Phillips greets Kiwanis RIF supporter Herbert Lamp of Conroe, TX.
Hello! I’m Stephen Leach, vice president of government relations and community outreach, guest blogging about a truly wonderful opportunity and quality partnership. Kiwanis International and local Kiwanis clubs have been long-standing supporters of Reading Is Fundamental and our Books for Ownership program in cities and towns across the country. In many communities you can find dedicated Kiwanians volunteering with local RIF programs helping to raise book budgets, serving as guest readers, and in a number of these programs, it’s the Kiwanis club and its members running the entire program at a local site. The incoming first lady of the Texas Oklahoma Kiwanis district, Joyce Curry, has seen firsthand how books and reading have had a positive impact on her own children and the children in the town where she resides, Minealo, Texas. She decided to further the partnership between Kiwanis and Reading Is Fundamental by making RIF the First Lady’s Project for 2010—2011. Mrs. Curry invited me and Community Outreach Manager Caroline Phillip, to Abilene, Texas, last week for the annual Texas/Oklahoma district convention to officially announce RIF to the members and to introduce us to the many wonderful Kiwanians of this district.
It was not a surprise that we found a number of the members already actively engaged in RIF programs throughout these two states. We met Carleen Campbell, whose Kiwanis-sponsored RIF program has been operating for over 20 years and she estimated that they have distributed over 6,000 books to children in Stillwater, Oklahoma. We also met Herbert Lamp whose club is celebrating its 10th year as the Conroe Friendly City Kiwanis RIF program. He remarked at how excited the children of Conroe, Texas are on RIF day.
In honor of her tremendous support, we are donating a multicultural book collection to a site of Mrs. Curry’s choice and will work with her throughout the year to spread RIF’s mission to as many Kiwanians and clubs as we can. We are very thankful to have such a dedicated, hardworking advocate for literacy as First Lady Joyce Curry!
(From left to right.) R.L. Stine and wife, Jane; Lynn Croneberger; and Jon Land. Jon Land presents the Silver Bullet award to Bill Boasi.
RIFers Lynn Croneberger and Alishia Frey had a thrilling time in New York City at this year’s Thrillerfest—a type of professional summer camp for thriller writers, readers, and fans. Attendees were treated to free galley copies of the new young adult anthology, FEAR: 13 Stories of Suspense and Horror, available in late September. Many of the 13 contributing authors were on hand to sign copies of the book, including editor and author R.L. Stine, and authors Jennifer Allison, Ryan Brown, Heather Graham, and F. Paul Wilson. Thanks to the generosity of the International Thriller Writers, 50 percent of the royalties will benefit Reading Is Fundamental.
Lynn also presented the Silver Bullet Award Saturday night to US Airways for their work with RIF on the “Fly with US, Read with Kids” campaign. Accepting on behalf of US Airways was “Do-Crew” member Bill Boasi. Lynn thanked US Airways for their work with RIF to encourage parents and families to read with kids.
Again, look for FEAR: 13 Stories of Suspense and Horror in your local bookstore this September.
Display of multicultural books at Phoenix regional gathering. Kappa Kappa Gamma alumnae at the gathering (L to R): Henrietta Kobley, April Hendrickson (RIF), Julie Mangis, Carolyn Simpson, Susie Hughes, Edie Mayo.
Greetings from sunny (and hot!) Phoenix! It’s Kathryn Jackson, director of corporate relations, and April Hendrickson, manager of special events here! We had the pleasure of attending a great event on June 22 to help kick off the 2010 Book A Brighter Future campaign for RIF and Macy’s, which officially starts on June 30. More than 30 enthusiastic RIF supporters gathered at the Macy’s in the Biltmore Fashion Center to celebrate the work of RIF volunteers in Phoenix and across the country.
The event also helped celebrate the beginning of the 2010 national Kappa Kappa Gamma Convention, which is being held in Phoenix this week. RIF is proud to be the Kappa’s national philanthropy partner and we were thrilled to have several Kappas in attendance at the event, including Carolyn Simpson, the Philanthropy Chair for Kappa Kappa Gamma. Carolyn is also a member of RIF’s Board of Directors and she spoke eloquently about the impact RIF makes across the country and the incredible work volunteers do every day. The Kappas are an integral part of RIF’s sustained success at the local level, with chapters getting involved with RIF programs in their communities through their “Reading Is Key” events.
In Arizona, more than 130,000 children receive books and literacy resources through the help of over 9,000 volunteers. Without the commitment of the local volunteers, RIF could not reach these children. For us, Tuesday’s highlight was meeting the local coordinators, volunteers, and RIF supporters and being able to thank them in person for the difference they make in their community.
RIF Gold Star awardees (L to R) Matthew Cibellis, Melissa Laird, and Anne Altieri pose with the “Gaga for Macy’s” dancers.
Each month, RIF honors its employees for outstanding customer service with the Gold Star Award. Due to our recent office move, two monthly meetings were skipped, so yesterday we presented awards for April, May, and June.
For our first meeting in our new office space, we recognized the employees who coordinated and executed RIF’s move: Steven Austin, Chandra Mackall, Amour Sanchez, Kathryn Ross, Crystal Hemphill, and Sonya Williams. As shown in the picture, this meeting also featured a very special performance to demonstrate that RIF staff is “Gaga” for the upcoming Macy’s Book a Brighter Future campaign.
For April, a gold star was awarded to Matthew Cibellis for his terrific job of organizing RIF’s tent at FESTIBA. His nominator wrote, “From the moment staff arrived to set up until the last box was packed to ship back, there was a clear plan in place and everyone knew their responsibilities. Children and families attending the event had a great time and Matthew’s planning and organization played a large role in this.” From the IS team, Janet Frick and Mark Limm, received gold stars for their tremendous work on the Friends of RIF project, a database that enables easier cross-departmental sharing of contacts and information. As their nominator wrote, “Their contributions were important in the design, development, testing, and rollout of the system. Janet worked with all RIF departments to obtain the initial specifications. Mark brought his usual creativity and energy to the project, designing web pages that work intuitively as well as being highly responsive.”
May brought RIF’s Gift of Reading Gala. Anne Altieri and Henry Dunbar developed the program and presentation, creatively and powerfully highlighting RIF’s mission. Their nominator wrote, “Henry and Anne worked tirelessly to write (and rewrite) the script until it was perfect – even finding the perfect closing story and the most adorable RIF kids to read it.” Melissa Laird managed the registration and donation/check-out table. Her nominator wrote, “From long before the gala through the big event, she worked to help develop procedures to make the check-in/check-out process as smooth as possible so that all the guests at the gala felt welcomed.” April Hendrickson, manager of special events, spearheaded the organization of the event. As her nominator noted, “The most important element of managing an event is controlling the flow and volume of information – event logistics, sponsorships and registrations, seating, volunteers, program information, expenses, all of which have an impact on donor relations.” The nomination went on to say that April “stepped up on every level with grace, a sense of humor, and an understanding that flexibility and information management is critical.
For June, Salve Mibale received a gold star, for processing donations. Salve’s nomination noted the high volume of donations associated with the gala, explaining “she made sure each contribution was processed quickly and thoroughly so that the development department could thank RIF’s numerous donors in a timely manner. Thanks to Salve Mibale, almost 1,000 gifts have been processed in the past six weeks. Salve’s hard work, attention to detail, and helpful attitude are why she is receiving the Gold Star Award for June.” Adriana Sosa was awarded a June gold star for her work as a Program Account Representative with 252 programs in Texas, Nevada and Puerto Rico. Her nominator stated, “Whether it’s someone who doesn’t know how to enter invoices into RAMS or a new program coordinator needing a detailed orientation in English or Spanish, Adriana is quick to deliver outstanding customer service. But Adriana’s outreach doesn’t end on the phone. She has represented RIF at the Miami Book Festival and FESTIBA in South Texas, as well as served as a liaison for RIF to establish a relationship with Puerto Rico’s Congressman Pedro Pierluisi.”
Congratulations to all of our gold star awardees, and happy reading!
From left, an Atlanta student enjoys communications activity; a Pitney Bowes employee reads to Atlanta students.
This is Kathryn Jackson, RIF’s director of corporate relations, reporting back to you on the partnership between RIF and Pitney Bowes.
RIF and Pitney Bowes joined forces recently to host family literacy nights in Atlanta, Dallas, and Washington, D.C. The three events, all hosted by local RIF programs and staffed by Pitney Bowes employees, were great opportunities to celebrate reading as a family. The communities answered the invitation enthusiastically—in total, nearly 1,400 parents and their children attended the events! The theme for each was “Share the Message: READ!” and all activities and books were related to a communications theme.
After enjoying dinner, the children and their families participated in five activities that focused on various forms of communication, from expressing themselves through drawing and writing to creating beaded bracelets with different ways to say “Hello!” At each station, the children collected a stamp on their reading “passport.” Each child also chose a new book to take home. Pitney Bowes employees were on hand to share the evening with the kids, leading activities and serving as great guest readers!
Following these events, I’m sure many bedtime stories in Atlanta, Dallas, and D.C. were from the kids’ new RIF books. On the way out, parents and kids were asking when the school would have the next family literacy night—a sure sign of a very successful event!
Now through June 30, RIF and Borden Milk are hosting a children’s art contest to celebrate the fun of reading! The contest theme, “Elsie’s Reading Adventures” is based on Borden Milk’s beloved mascot, Elsie the Cow, who loves to read to her children.
Children ages 6-12 in Texas and Louisiana can win a $1,000 literacy grant for their school or RIF program, a supply of Borden milk for the year, and many other fun prizes.
We encourage parents and kids to visit www.bordenonline.com or www.elsiesartcontest.com to learn more and to download the entry form. Children can then submit an original piece of artwork inspired by the theme “Elsie the Cow’s Reading Adventures.” One completed entry form per child is required. If you have any questions, email RIF at elsie@rif.org.
One winner will be selected from each of the following cities in Texas : Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Laredo, McAllen, San Antonio, and Texarkana and the following cities in Louisiana: Baton Rouge and Lafayette.
At the end of April I wrote about RIF and Scholastic’s new partnership to raise awareness about summer reading for at-risk children. I mentioned Scholastic was donating 50,000 books to RIF to give to the children who need them most. Well, Scholastic is broadening their commitment to help RIF reach even more children in their Give To RIF campaign!
By making a donation to RIF, children’s literacy supporters can help RIF reach more children with the books they need to avoid the summer slide, that crucial summer season when children are at risk of losing over two months of reading achievement. And very importantly, 100% of all the funds donated will go to help RIF put books in children’s hands.
But that’s not all. Scholastic is so enthusiastic about helping children with limited access to books that they want to reward those who give to RIF. When parents or educators donate $5 or more to RIF*, they’ll receive 20% off of selected merchandise at Scholastic.com. This is such a generous win-win situation. Children who need books, and the people who care about them, will all benefit.
I hope you’ll consider participating in this great opportunity to help children and take advantage of the savings Scholastic offers. Working together, we can help children make this summer a super reading time, a summer minus the “slide”!
Thank you, and Happy Reading!
Carol
*Customers who donate $5 or more will receive a code worth 20% off a future purchase on select items in the Scholastic Store and in the Teacher Store Online. Scholastic will remit 100% of the funds collected through the “Give to RIF” initiative to Reading Is Fundamental.
Reading Is Fundamental is excited about a 90th anniversary being celebrated this year! Whose anniversary? Scholastic!
