Read 20, Hamilton County’s reading initiative, has donated 21,000 books to all Hamilton County public elementary school classroom libraries. The donation was made through Read 20’s Recognition Program, a program partnership with book publishers and Read 20.
The Recognition Program began in May 2007, enhancing Mayor Claude Ramsey’s Read 20 program which encourages parents, guardians and friends to read with a child at least 20 minutes every day. Mayor Ramsey believes the key to higher education is through early childhood literacy and has championed Read 20, “It is actually pretty simple, if you invest 20 minutes every day reading to children your investment will pay big dividends in a child’s life further down the road.”
The Recognition Program has donated over $133,000 worth of classroom library books to Hamilton County Department of Education elementary schools since May 2007. Read 20 programs have interacted with more than 48,237 children, confirmed more than 25,000 adults read to children every day, provided resources and training for 1,277 teachers in public schools and day cares, and distributed over 86,000 books since July 2006.
For more information about Read 20 please visit our website at: http://www.read20.org
Or contact Chief Reading Officer, Shawn Kurrelmeier-Lee at: sklee@hamiltontn.gov