Read Across America
The California Library Association is partnering again with the California Teachers Association (CTA) to promote Read Across America. Now in its sixth year, this program, sponsored nationally by the NEA, is a celebration of reading. Its goal is to motivate children to read and to generate new enthusiasm for reading. The theme for 2004 is "Read for the Ride of Your Life."
Since California's election day is March 2, the state will celebrate on March 4, unlike the rest of the country. CTA will kick off the day with a media event at the Los Angeles Airport Hilton; CTA leaders will join local elementary school students for breakfast and a read-a-thon. The event was devised to draw attention to RAA activities across the state.
The object of the celebration is to foster a lifelong love of reading. Public and school libraries are urged to participate in Read Across America by planning special events in their communities on March 4 to stress the importance of learning to read.
For more information about California's Read Across America program, visit the website at http://www.cta.org/Features/RAA/04/ReadAcrossAmerica.htm. NEA's 2004 resource kit and other materials are also available online at http://www.nea.org/readacross/resources/index.html.