Millions of volunteers across the country will celebrate the 15th anniversary of Read for the Record on October 29th to raise awareness about the critical importance of early literacy. Volunteers will all read the book, “Evelyn Del Ray is Moving Away” by Meg Medina to elementary school aged children. For this year’s event, United Way of Central Georgia has teamed up with Bibb County Elementary Schools to take the annual event VIRTUAL. Volunteers will still be able to read to entire classrooms of students, but will read on virtual meeting platforms via recording to follow social distancing recommendations.
“We are calling on all parents, grandparents, neighbors, friends, and community members,” said Dr. Shelton Land, United Way of Central Georgia Education Program Manager. “It’s important that our community members recognize that when a child isn’t reading proficiently at certain milestones, there’s a direct connection to continuing test scores and eventually graduation rates. This year, not only are children facing usual literacy challenges we see every year, but those challenges are compounded by the continuing effects of the pandemic. As cliché as it sounds, we truly need the community’s support now more than ever.”
This year, Read for the Record’s volunteers will need about 30 minutes to record themselves reading “Evelyn Del Ray is Moving Away.” The Read United team will coordinate with volunteers to set up these recordings. To sign up for this year’s event, click here.