Karen Kourafas coordinates the RIF book distributions and believes storybook characters are great literacy motivators. Characters such as Clifford the Red Dog, Pokey the Puppy, the Cat in the Hat, Froggy, Curious George, and Wild Thing monsters make appearances at their RIF literacy parades. To help build excitement, announcements are made well in advance about which characters will be visiting. Many of this RIF program’s sites are in Fresno’s rural areas, and the children are amazed and excited by this rare opportunity. At the events, guest readers share books about the visiting characters. Children and parents take photos with the characters and receive a frame that reads “Literacy for All 2009”. The RIF books and photos become treasures for these families.
Last Saturday, RIF joined the US Airways DoCrew to help promote the importance of reading with kids at the National Book Festival in DC. The DoCrew, US Airways’ employee volunteer group, showed up in full force, ready to pass out books and encourage children and their parents to discover the joy of reading. Together, we distributed more than 20,000 copies of Off You Go, Maisy!, a children’s book featuring Lucy Cousin’s much-loved mouse, Maisy! This book was created specially by Candlewick Press for the US Airways and RIF partnership, “Fly with US. Read with Kids.” and is always a big hit for those who read with young children!
RIF Board member Lynda Robb visits the booth.
Happy reading!
Kathryn Jackson
Director, Corporate Relations
(From left to right.) Congressman Ruben Hinojosa helps present Carol Rasco and Linda Evans, Meadows Foundation with awards of excellence for their support of the South Texas Literacy Coalition. Children's author Xavier Garza signs his book, "Charro Clause and the Tejas Kid", for a gala attendee. Everyone in attendance received a copy of his book.
Hey, this is Stephen Leach, Vice President of Government Relations and Community Outreach at RIF. On Saturday, September 26, I along with other RIF staff and over 450 South Texas friends and contributors, had the honor to attend the South Texas Literacy Coalition’s inaugural gala, “Historias de la Vida”, at the new McAllen Convention Center in McAllen, Texas. The evening was magical for all in attendance and for RIF especially as Carol Rasco accepted an award on behalf of RIF for excellence in literacy and support of the STLC. Also, Linda Evans accepted an award on behalf of the Meadows Foundation which was recognized for its financial contributions to the establishment of the coalition and for sponsoring parent trainings and literacy events at area schools.
The audience was treated to entertainment by a very talented Mariachi band and accompanying dancers from the University of Texas Pan American as well as a guest reading by children’s book author Xavier Garza. The gala featured a slide show highlighting RIF’s involvement in the coalition with scenes from the announcement of the coailition to the various congressional literacy celebrations in the area with Congressmen Rubén Hinojosa, Henry Cuellar, and Solomon Ortiz, and the unforgettable RIF tents at UTPA’s Festival of International Books and Arts (FESTIBA!). Congressmen Hinojosa and Congressman Ortiz were in attendance to support the coalition and provided remarks to the audience. Congressman Cuellar had a schedulung conflict but a staff person from his office offered words of support to the coalition. In addition to the members of Congress, representatives from state government, local government, the Region One Service Center, local universities, corporations, and businesses, joined the title sponsor, Border Health PAC, to offer their full congratulations and support to the South Texas Literacy Coalition.
In the end, the mistress of ceremonies, local icon Dr. Blandina Cardenas challenged everyone in the audience to get more involved in their community and offered her best wishes to the coalition. With a very succesful event completed, the STLC is positioning itself as a leader for educational services and resources in the Rio Grande Valley. RIF looks forward to working with them to help build a culture of literacy for all the children and families in South Texas.
Stephen
RIF staff pose with Congressman Solomon Ortiz and Congressman Ruben Hinojosa and his wife, Marty.
Happy Tuesday. In this week’s ambassadors highlight the common thread is the “people power” needed to run a RIF program. The most successful RIF programs find ways to recruit, engage, and recognize volunteers and supporters. To plan and execute distributions and foster a culture of literacy takes a lot of people!
RIF volunteer Bob Kluge reading with children.
Heidi Condrey, Virginia RIF Ambassador, is the coordinator of early childhood education and disability services for the Parent Child Development Corporation (PCDC). PCDC is a Head Start grantee that also operates developmental childcare and preschool programs. When she assumed this role, she also became the programs’ RIF coordinator. Since then, she has successfully recruited parent and community volunteers for the RIF program. Heidi shares about one of her outstanding volunteers, Bob Kluge. “Bob, a member of a local civic organization, has been a dedicated RIF volunteer for many years. Bob attends every distribution and usually brings along other members from his organization. Even when he was sick in the hospital, Bob made sure that someone was there to read to ‘his kids.’”
Peggy Steep, Missouri RIF Ambassador, is leading RIF of Springfield’s 30th anniversary year with expertise garnered over many RIF days. Peggy may be new to the social networking activities as RIF ambassador, but she has volunteered for almost every aspects of RIF and Springfield Public Schools including being elected president of RIF of Springfield six times. In this recent post, Peggy shares how her program coordinates the year and engages stakeholders including a comprehensive training to support the 4,100 children served. People power is central to RIF of Springfield’s achievement “The success of this program is in great part due to the commitment of parent volunteers and their buying into the RIF program,” states Peggy.
Carin Dhaouadi of New Mexico uses an Open House to gather volunteers and input for the RIF program at New Futures School. Before she places a book order, Carin’s program gathers input from the children, young parents, and others. What better way to ensure that readers will find something of interest on distribution day! And another great people power moment is their school-wide reading program that gathers students and community volunteers in the cafeteria to explore literature and the process of reading. It is all about discovering what interests a student! Carin shares a wide range of skills and knowledge as a teacher having lead classes including biology, business, reading, poetrywriting, and photography.
The plaza in front of the CBS Early Show studio in New York City was buzzing with excitement this morning. In celebration of National Literacy Month, RIF kids from Harlem Academy were on the plaza cheering on Shivani Angappan, the national winner of Macy’s 4th annual spelling bee. Shivani showed off her super spelling skills with Early Show anchor Harry Smith. RIF coordinator Terrill Hughes also spoke about the importance of children’s literacy. In case you missed it or want to see it again, “bee” sure to check out the video above and these fun photos.
What fun to share with a child and then start looking together for “faces”!
Happy reading!
Carol
Cover Story is a feature every Monday on Rasco From RIF where I share with you the “face” of a book that has caught my eye or that readers have submitted. Cover Story does not discuss the content of the book. I hope you will share your favorite “cover story” with me now and then!
Yesterday, Macy’s held its 4th Annual Spelling Bee Grand Finale hosted by RIF. The event took place just outside of Macy’s Herald Square store in New York City.Twenty-six finalists from spelling bees held in Macy’s stores throughout the country were vying for the title of National Winner. The competition was intense as the participants carefully belted out each letter of “eco-friendly” words given by the judges. Alas, Shivani Angappan (9 yrs old from Bedford, MA) prevailed as the winner after successfully spelling “plateau” and “poinsettia” in the ninth round. Shivani received a $5,000 Grand Prize Kaplan Tutoring Scholarship and a $500 Grand Prize Scholastic Gift Certificate.
“Bee” sure to tune in to the CBS Early Show on Monday, September 28, 2009 to see the national winner show off her super spelling skills in a spell off with the Early Show anchors. Children and volunteers from a New York-based RIF Program will also be on the show’s plaza cheering the winner on!
The South Texas Literacy Coalition held their first annual Gala tonight – Historias De La Vida/Stories of Our Life - in McAllen, Texas. And what a grand night it was! We will have a more detailed posting later, but I wanted to quickly share how proud RIF is to be a part of this great Coalition of committed individuals and organizations serving the Valley area. Below you see on the right Linda Evans, President of The Meadows Foundation which was honored as a Distinguished Benefactor and myself representing RIF honored with the Community Champions Award. Mounted on south Texas mesquite wood, the boy and girl each reading a book are treasured symbols of the outcomes we seek for all children – joy in reading!
At the National Book Festival on the Mall in DC, Jon Scieszka has just read aloud the first episode of an exciting new project The Exquisite Corpse Adventurethat will span a full year with completion at next year’s Festival! Episode one is illustrated by Chris Van Dusen. Every two weeks a new episode and new illustration will be unveiled by authors like Kate DeCamillo, Megan McDonald, Shannon Hale, Nikki Grimes and more!
The National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance and the Butler Center for Children’s Literature at Dominican University have developed a companion educational resource center to support “The Exquisite Corpse Adventure.”
I’ll be posting regularly about the dates for new episodes and illustrations as well as additional supplemental activities. Get ready to have a year’s worth of fun, get started now!
A very unusual and completely amazing story pieced together out of so many parts that it is not possible to describe them all here so go ahead and just start reading…
This story starts with a train rushing through the night.
Winner of the Pura Belpré Award as well as numerous “best” listings in recent years, Esperanza Rising is a book about life in Mexico during the Great Depression but the concepts of “starting over” are appropriate today; plus it is a beautiful story whether read for its lessons or the pleasure of the story as it unfolds under Muñoz-Ryan’s pen. I can envision a classroom or small group enjoying this one for days.
Grandmother did not know the symbolism of her actions when she took Esperanza’s latest attempts at crocheting and unraveled all the stitching and shared with Esperanza one must never be embarrassed to start over with a task. And start over Esperanza must, along with her mother and beloved grandmother. I was at first surprised that I found the story so believable, but I did. I appreciated the strong women portrayed in this book, the connections between human self and the earth when Esperanza learned to feel the earth’s heart beat, and the universal emotions experienced then and now today when humans are interacting one with another.
Three sets of lesson plans or activities I found you might enjoy having are listed here; they are not only for teachers but anyone enjoying this book with students ages 9-12.
I learned a great deal from this book, it caused me to think. And it will be one for parents and children, teachers and students to discover, study, and enjoy together as well.
Happy Reading!
Carol
WEEK’S END closes the work week with some thoughts, comments, feelings about some book and/or event recently experienced. If a book, it may be a children’s book or an adult book or both. If an event, it may be literacy-related or not. But it comes at week’s end.
Winner of the Pura Belpré Award as well as numerous “best” listings in recent years, Esperanza Rising is a book about life in Mexico during the Great Depression but the concepts of “starting over” are appropriate today; plus it is a beautiful story whether read for its lessons or the pleasure of the story as it unfolds under Muñoz-Ryan’s pen. I can envision a classroom or small group enjoying this one for days.