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First Lady and national Reading Is Fundamental official will visit Howard, Starr Elementary Schools
Nebraska's First Lady Sally Ganem will visit Howard and Starr Elementary Schools on Friday, Oct. 8, to help launch Reading Is Fundamental's Governor's Circle by reading to students and observing each student choose a book to keep for the student's home library.
Ganem will read to students at Howard Elementary School, 502 W. Ninth St., at 9 a.m. Oct. 8, then watch as each Howard student selects a book starting at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 8. Ganem will read to students at Starr Elementary School, 315 Wyandotte St., at approximately 10:15 a.m. Oct. 8, then watch as each Starr student chooses a book. Howard has 423 students, and Starr has 290 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Both schools participate in Reading Is Fundamental's Books for Ownership program.
The mission of Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. (RIF), the nation's largest children's and family literacy organization, is to inspire passion for reading and learning through innovative literacy programs and services. Carolyn Schmidt, director of development for Reading Is Fundamental in Washington, D.C., will also attend the events at the two schools on Oct. 8.
The First Lady co-chairs RIF's Governor's Circle.
"The Governor's Circle will officially launch in 2011 as part of our upcoming 45th Anniversary Gift of Reading Gala. The Governor's Circle will consist of Governors' spouses as a new tradition of celebrating our nationwide impact. As Governor's Circle Co-Chair, First Lady of Nebraska, Sally Ganem, will be recognized as a major contributor to the success of this event and as a champion of children's literacy. She was selected, in large part because of her commitment to early childhood education. Our 45th anniversary will be in 2012," Schmidt said.
Ganem is a former elementary school principal.
RIF makes reading fun through exciting motivational activities that culminate in book distributions -- opportunities for children to choose and keep books at no cost to them or their families. RIF provides books to children through a network of local volunteers, who run RIF programs and organize events. Integration specialist Janel Keyes is the Books for Ownership coordinator at Howard Elementary School, and Robin Mettenbrink, technology assistant, is the coordinator at Starr Elementary School.
Keyes is also RIF's State Ambassador for Nebraska. In 2009, RIF expanded its volunteer engagement efforts by launching the RIF Ambassadors initiative, a working honor that recognizes the invaluable role of committed local volunteers in advancing RIF's mission. Representing every U.S. state, the 50 Ambassadors promoted children's literacy by reaching out to neighboring RIF programs, public officials, and community members. Ambassadors conducted at least one government relations activity and contributed to a new blog.
Books for Ownership is a flagship program for RIF. Each organization or school that qualifies for the federal program must provide some of the funding (usually 25 percent) to pay for the books that are distributed to children. Each child selects a book to keep at two to five book distribution events annually.
More information about Books for Ownership is available at: www.rif.org/us/about/programs/books-for-ownership.htm
Nationally, RIF reaches the nation's underserved children and families in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Guam. Through a grassroots network of community volunteers at 17,000 sites, RIF provided 4.4 million children last year with 15 million new, free books and other essential literacy resources.
Although RIF programs vary in size and location, all incorporate three key elements:
* Engaging books for children to explore, choose, keep, read, and treasure;
* Motivational activities that capture children's imagination and inspire them to read; and
* Ways to engage family and community members in literacy development.
RIF serves children in traditional settings such as schools, libraries, and community centers, but also extends to children who are hardest to reach and at risk of growing up without books.
Any public agency or private nonprofit group may apply to RIF to start a program. Depending on eligibility requirements, selected groups may start federal or private programs.
For more information, contact: Carol Bryant, Public Relations Coordinator, Grand Island Public Schools, 123 S. Webb Road, Grand Island, NE; (308) 385-5900, cbryant@gips.org; Melissa Mills, Media Relations Manager, Reading Is Fundamental, (214) 729-0177, mmills@rif.org; Carolyn Schmidt, Director of Development, Reading is Fundamental, (202) 536-3434, cschmidt@rif.org; Julie Schnitzler, Principal, Howard Elementary School, 502 W. Ninth St., Grand Island, NE; (308) 385-5916, jschnitz@gips.org; John Hauser, Principal, Starr Elementary School, 315 Wyandotte St., Grand Island, NE; (308) 385-5882, jhauser@gips.org