Clubs Celebrate Read Across America Day All Week Long
As part of our youth literacy initiative, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee made Read Across
America Day (March 2) a week long celebration with a host of activities and events at 16 of our 38 locations.
We kicked off Read Across America Week on March 1 at the Allen-Field School Boys & Girls Club, located at
730 W. Lapham Blvd. The telecommunications company, AT&T, stopped by the Club to donate 250 dictionaries aimed at readers in third grade and higher. Representatives from its AT&T Pioneers – the company’slargest retiree and employee resource organization – helped distribute the reference tools to Club members. Afterwards, special guests AT&T Director of External Affairs Dextra Hadnot and State Representative Pedro Colón played a game with our kids that introduced how to use their new dictionaries.
Read Across America is an annual and national reading motivation and awareness program held on the birthday of popular children’s author Dr. Seuss. Literacy is a major initiative for the Boys & Girls Clubs. Research has shown that children who are motivated and spend more time reading do better in school.
As part of our weeklong celebration, 80
volunteers read Dr. Seuss books and lead creative games to nearly 500 children at 16 Boys & Girls Club locations. The Boys & Girls Clubs’ Spheres of Proud Achievement in
Reading for Kids (SPARK) Early Literacy Program coordinated the activities.
AT&T Director of External Affairs Dextra Hadnot (left) and State Representative and Boys & Girls Clubs Trustee Pedro Colon received hugs in return for the time they spent with Allen-Field School Boys & Girls Club members during our Read Across America Week. The two, along with AT&T Pioneers - the company's largest retiree and employee organization, passed out 250 dictionaries to our kids.