New York,
NY (December
1,
2003) --
On Friday, December 5, 2003, millions of children in classrooms around the world will join together to participate in
Scholastic Read For 2004, the fifth annual children's reading initiative created by Scholastic, the global children's publishing and media company. The read-a-thon encourages children, parents and teachers to set aside time to pick up a book and read, and affirm the importance of reading on this day and every day. Last year, more than 5 million children and 27,000 teachers, in over 60 countries, joined together to celebrate their love of books.
This year a record breaking 40 of the nation's Governors' Spouses have volunteered to serve as Scholastic Read For 2004 Ambassadors of Reading, leading their states in this reading celebration. Each First Lady or Gentleman will send out a message to their state about the importance of reading, in addition to hosting reading events in schools. In appreciation of their support, each participating spouse will receive 500 Scholastic books to donate to a school, library or charity of his/her choice.
“Read For 2004 embodies Scholastic's mission of bringing reading and the joy of learning into homes and classrooms, and connects children around the world through the power of books. Thanks to the many Governors' Spouses, community leaders in America and our international subsidiaries who will all celebrate literacy, December 5th will be a wonderful day for students, parents and teachers, and for reading,” said Dick Robinson, Chairman, President and CEO of Scholastic.
In addition, American Airlines and NBC have joined as corporate supporters of Scholastic Read For 2004. American Airlines pilots and flight attendants will host reading events in schools on December 5th, and Admiral Clubs in airports nationwide will provide Scholastic books for families to enjoy during the busy holiday travel season. Through their vast media reach, NBC will help increase awareness about the importance of reading by sending out the message to America's children to pick up a book and read.
Classrooms around the globe will also be connected through the official Scholastic Read For 2004 Web site,
www.scholastic.com/ReadFor2004. By registering, classrooms are included on the site's world map to show participating countries around the world. The Web site also offers teachers and parents with free reading resources including reading tips and advice, book lists, suggested ways to celebrate Read For 2004 with children, and downloadable book marks and reading certificates.
The Scholastic Read For 2004 Ambassadors of Reading include:
Alaska - Mrs. Nancy Murkowski
Arkansas - Mrs. Janet Huckabee
California - Mrs. Sharon Davis (Former First Lady)
Colorado - Mrs. Frances Owens
Connecticut - Mrs. Patricia Rowland
Delaware - Mr. Frank Ingram (First Son)
Florida - Mrs. Columba Bush
Georgia - Mrs. Mary Perdue
Guam - Mrs. Joann Camacho
Idaho - Mrs. Patricia J. Kempthorne
Indiana - Mrs. Maggie Kernan
Iowa - Mrs. Christie Vilsack
Kansas - Mr. Gary Sebelius (First Gentleman)
Kentucky - Mrs. Judi Patton
Maine - Mrs. Karen Baldacci
Maryland - Mrs. Kendel Ehrlich
Massachusetts - Mrs. Ann Romney
Michigan - Mr. Dan Granholm Mulhern (First Gentleman)
Minnesota - Mrs. Mary Pawlenty
Missouri - Mrs. Lori Holden
Nebraska - Mrs. Stephanie Johanns
New Jersey - Mrs. Dina Matos McGreevey
New Mexico - Mrs. Barbara Richardson
North Carolina - Mrs. Mary Easley
North Dakota - Mrs. Mikey Hoeven
Ohio - Mrs. Hope Taft
Oklahoma - Mrs. Kim Henry
Oregon - Mrs. Mary Oberst
Pennsylvania - Mrs. Marjorie Rendell
Rhode Island - Mrs. Suzanne Carcieri
South Carolina - Mrs. Jenny Sanford
South Dakota - Mrs. Jean Rounds
Tennessee - Mrs. Andrea Conte
Texas - Mrs. Anita Perry
Utah - Mrs. Jacalyn S. Leavitt (Former First Lady)
Vermont - Mrs. Dorothy Douglas
Virginia - Mrs. Lisa Collis
Washington - Mrs. Mona Locke
Wisconsin - Mrs. Jessica Doyle
Wyoming - Mrs. Nancy Freudenthal
The Scholastic “Read For…” campaign was first launched in 1999 to commemorate the millennium and unite children and classrooms in a global celebration of reading. “Read For…” was quickly embraced by schools around the world and continues to bring reading and the joy of learning into homes and classrooms. Each year, schools around the world, from Germany to Ghana and South Korea to Sweden, join together in a celebratory day of reading. School celebrations include hosting reading events such as read-alouds and themed book parties, where kids enjoy reading their favorite books and dressing up as book characters.
Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL) is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books. Scholastic creates quality educational and entertaining materials and products for use in school and at home, including children's books, magazines, technology-based products, teacher materials, television programming, film, videos and toys. The Company distributes its products and services through a variety of channels, including proprietary school-based book clubs, school-based book fairs, and school-based and direct-to-home continuity programs; retail stores, schools, libraries, and television networks; and the Company's Internet Site,
www.scholastic.com.