Tucson, Ariz.—They say a picture is worth a thousand words.  That’s why 20 members the National Junior Honor Society at Gridley Middle School will launch “Reading Mentor Project,” which matches eighth graders with sixth-grade students to write and illustrate their own picture books.  All literary creations will be entered into a young authors contest, and winning students will travel to community elementary schools to read their books to students in kindergarten and first grades.

Littleton, Colo.—The Mortensen Elementary School’s “Bookworms,” a group of four fifth graders, will organize a read-a-thon extravaganza to encourage reading around-the-clock while raising funds to provide much needed school supplies to the Denver Children’s Home, an organization designed to treat traumatized, abused and neglected children ages six to 18.

Wilmington, Del.—For some students, a way to get to the heart of reading is through their stomachs.  Members of “Cooks and Bakers” at Delcastle Tech High School will cook up some fun and feed the need to read by recreating some Seuss culinary classics while reading to children at their local library. The students will show that reading can be fun and delicious, too!

Orlando, Fla.—Reading will be out of this world when students at the University of Central Florida launch a multigenerational Read Across America celebration for students at Riverside Elementary School.  Designed for students in grades K–3, the event will highlight readings by special guests, including NASA astronauts, while providing book donations to the students so that reading continues all year long.

Atlanta, Ga.—Embracing their rich African culture, 21 student members of Otu Umunne Cultural Organization Inc., a volunteer support group comprised of Igbo women who promote their culture, will organize a story hour and “book talks” to share the Igbo culture and traditions with their community.  The literacy project will educate students about the history and traditions of their Igbo culture, one of the three ethnic groups comprising Nigeria.

Ewa Beach, Hawaii—Bridging the waters of the South Pacific, members of the Interact Club at Campbell High School will create audiotapes of children’s stories for their global service learning project.  The students will record readings of children’s stories to create audio books, which are designed to help Vietnamese students learn English.  After completion of the project, the audio books will be donated to the library of an adopted school in Vietnam.

Athens, Ill.—Students in the gifted program at Athens Junior High School will create literacy resource kits known as “Kid Kits” for their community library.  The group of 25 students will write and illustrate books for the “Kid Kit,” as well as create reading games, puzzles, videos and other resources to help making reading fun.  With themes like “Under the Sea” that display oceanography, to “Down on the Farm” focusing on agriculture and farming, the kits will be presented to the libraries and will be available for the teachers, students and community members at any time.

Indianapolis, Ind.—Members of the PlayIt4Ward Club created the “I Think I Can” literacy campaign and book club.  The mission of the project, which is designed for teens by fellow peers, is to foster a love of reading and raise reading comprehension skills.  “I Think I Can” serves local underprivileged youth and provides reading inspiration through rewards like pizza parties and recognition ceremonies.

Holton, Kan.—Older children connecting with their younger peers can be a great way to cultivate a love for reading.  That’s the thinking behind “Book Buddies” at Jackson Heights Middle School, a new program that will pair its students with elementary schoolchildren before regular school hours to read with them instead of just having them wait for the morning bell to ring.  Other activities of the group include writing book reviews for the local newspaper and sponsoring a “Care About Reading” series of events.

Gardner, Kan.—To foster good readers, start early!  That’s the thinking of the Johnson County After School Group, which will establish preschool and afterschool care at Madison Elementary School. The organization, consisting of 36 elementary school students ages 8 to 11, will be reading and teaching preschool students at the center. Using some Seuss magic, the students will share books, read-ins and other activities with preschoolers as part of its Read Across America Day celebration.

Covington, Ky.—The NEA Student Program at Northern Kentucky University led by Kristen Hamburg, Scott Houp and Robert Lucas has taken Thomas Edison Elementary School under their wing to cultivate young readers.  The students are connecting their campus and communities through reading rodeos, book drives, tutoring sessions, special read-ins with Seuss’ famous feline—the Cat in the Hat.

Olive Hill, Ky.—Football seniors at West Carter High School will show they got game by demonstrating the importance of reading to students at Upper Tygart Elementary School.  Knowing that athletes can connect with kids in a unique way, the high school students will host weekly read-ins designed to prove reading can be just as much fun as sports. The mentoring project will focus on boys in fourth and fifth grades after tests showed a need for reading improvement in those grades.

Boston, Mass.—Whether it’s Electric Rock, Blues Jams, or Acoustic Originals, the spoken word never sounded so good in Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood.  A youth group sponsored by the Asian Community Development Corporation and led by 17-year-old Terence Tran, “A-VOYCE Youth Open Mic Project” has found a way to cultivate reading enthusiasm among fellow Asian-American teens by pumping up the volume.  The group plans to organize a writing and poetry project in Chinatown to engage local teens that will culminate in an “Open Mic” event.

Elkton, Md.—Students at Elk Neck Elementary School know what a big impact they can have on their younger classmates.  That’s why “Young Readers,” a youth group consisting of three fifth graders, will lead a book club for younger boys to keep them interested in reading.  Acting as mentors to set a positive example, students will serve as reading role models for boys and girls at their school.

Ft. Washington, Md.—“Grandma’s Girls,” created and led by eighth grader Jada Scott, is a mobile book club that will travel to local adult-assisted facilities and provide special read-ins by fellow female classmates.  Sharing stories from the World’s Oldest Book, students will not only read for residents but also will improve their own reading and comprehension skills.

Benton Harbor, Mich.—A good idea is growing in the Wolverine State.  A group of eight students at Countryside Academy will launch “Ambassadors of Literacy” to work with children and families of migrant workers in their agricultural town.  The students will conduct bilingual reading workshops with the children and their families at the local Head Start program. The group also is organizing a book swap to help celebrate National Youth Service Day.

Minneapolis, Minn.—Inspired to give back to their community after watching a play about a homeless family struggling to survive, students at Barton Open School started READ (Read Engage and Achieve Your Dreams).  Beginning on Read Across America Day, 15 members of READ will work with the American Indian Community Development Corporation, which provides housing, chemical health and economic development within the Native American community, to create “write it/read it” books for moms and dads to share with their children.

Cape May Court House, N.J.—Reading never goes out of style for 11-year-old George B. Cook III, a sixth- grade student at Middle Township Middle School who created “Books and Barbershop” to help his peers look good while reading.  Connecting with a local hairdresser and friends, Cook’s literacy project will offer free haircuts to boys who finish their reading projects. 

Albuquerque, N.M.—Knowing the importance of having books and other reading materials available at home, students at the Jimmy Carter Middle School will lead a family literacy project that partners with Habitat for Humanity to provide libraries for each of 10 new homes being built in their community.

New York, N.Y.—Krystal Woodley and three of her fellow tenth graders at Frederick Douglass Academy II will organize a project that promotes leadership and reading at their high school and an adopted elementary school serving their community.  The students plan to purchase books and organize readings at their high school, beginning with Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson, which helps children coping with life’s challenges through the written word.

Dickinson, N.D.—Once upon a recent time in a land not so far away, students in the Advanced Placement Literature class at Dickinson High School launched Chit Chat Lit to introduce the genre of fairy tales to local children. The group’s new program, “Bring Your Imagination to Life Through Reading,” which is led by Allison Pavilicek, Sara Becker, and Brooke Biederstedt, consists of eight group reading sessions with local elementary schools that will target these literacy activities to children in local afterschool programs.

Murrysville, Pa.—Ninth grader Megan Cala will organize a book club through East Suburban Citizen Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that supports people with developmental disabilities by finding and fostering one-to-one support for them.  Hosting regular meetings at local Barnes and Noble bookstores, the club will create culinary concoctions inspired by the tales they read.

Philadelphia, Pa.—Whether it’s Louisa May Alcott or Mark Twain that one fancies, the classics are alive, thanks to the “Cool Classics Book Club.”  Led by ninth-grade student Joy Best, the group will introduce classics like Little Women, Tom Sawyer and other timeless tales to local middle school students.  The club will read chapters from the books and engage in reading activities.

Philadelphia, Pa.—A group of middle school students at Mariana Bracetti Academy, which is located in one of North Philadelphia’s most economically and educationally disadvantaged neighborhoods, have created their own Anime Club to encourage reading through appreciation of animation.  Launched by Elisha Watkins, Andres Medina, Iyelisse Lopez and Imarliss Lopez, the group will provide a venue for students to talk about their favorite anime books and share stories while engaging their peers in a cool way to look at reading. 

Providence, R.I.—Breaking out their black ties and formal dresses, the Order of Omega Club, a social organization that recognizes fraternity men and women who have attained a high standard of leadership, will host its annual Dr. Seuss Ball and book drive. The club, located at Johnson and Wales University, transforms the auditorium into a Seuss wonderland and organizes a book donation competition among other organizations in the Greek system.  The 22-member club, led by president Michelle Santoro, also will invite children from local Rhode Island schools to the event for a read-a-thon—all in superb Seuss style!

Livingston, Texas—Members of the Onalaska High School Student Council will organize a reading scavenger hunt to locate literary treasures around their town.  To keep the reading excitement going, students will also create a book about their town.  This book will be donated to local schools and libraries while selling copies to the general public, with proceeds going to a local literacy charity.

Sandy, Utah—The therapeutic ways of the written word will benefit residents at Community Health Centers in the Greater Salt Lake metropolitan area, thanks to 17-year-old M. Scott Draper’s literary endeavor to furnish five “Reach Out and Read” centers, which serve the area’s multicultural, uninsured patients.  The cozy reading centers will feature child-sized chairs, desks, bookcases and rugs—everything to make that perfect nook to open up a favorite book.

Fredericksburg, Va.—Realizing the healing power of reading, members of the University of Mary Washington Mortar Board Honor Society will establish an ongoing book drive—calling for donations at local hospitals, thrift stores and free clinics—while hosting “read-alouds” to patients at the Hospice Support Care Center.  The chapter, whose annual theme is “Reading is Leading,” will also arrange for a pen-pal program with an orphanage in Honduras to encourage global connections through written correspondence.

Seattle, Wash.—Laura D’Asaro and Lenae Johnson, both eleventh-grade students at Nathan Hale High School, started “Audio Books for Kids,” which leads a books-to-tape program at local area high schools and middle schools.  In addition to giving sound to the written word, the program also holds book drives to fund the audio book program. 

War, W.V.—After reports revealed McDowell County has the highest illiteracy rate in West Virginia, three teenagers decided to do something to get reading back on the right track in their community.  Bartley residents Ashley Tiller, Ashley Shelton, and Amber Tiller—all volunteers for the AmeriCorps program at Big Creek People in Action Inc.—created “Young Leaders Action Council” to organize weekly reading activities at local schools throughout McDowell County.  The students also will donate books and lead reading activities, make bookmarks and share their love of reading.

In Nassau County, N.Y., the Youth Council of the Nassau County Economic Opportunity Commission has created Head Start Learns!—a literacy project designed to assist children in Head Start programs throughout the county. The literacy project provides reading activities, mentor training and book donations to children in low-income communities.

In St. Paul, Minn., Central High School senior Kaozovapa Lee has created a teen literacy and mentoring project to assist the region's immigrant community by setting up weekly literacy visits with elementary age children. The literacy project is designed to not only help the children with their reading skills and comprehension, but also to build character and mentoring skills in Lee's peers.

New York high school freshman Gustavo Maximo is organizing Our Voices, a series of poetry workshops and poetry jams to foster literacy among fellow students at Rice High School and at the Harlem Branch of the New York Public Library for the local community. The poetry project is designed not only to engage Maximo's fellow teens in poetry and literacy, but also strengthen the community-school link between the school and the local public library.

California brothers Brady and Kyle Baldwin have created the My Own Book literacy and story project, creating new books for K–3 students and organizing readings by community leaders. The Baldwin brothers have also involved teen peers in the literacy project, engaging them in reading and writing. The boys invited the mayor, fire chief, police chief, school board members, and others to participate in their reading events and will be donating books to the children in this low-income community.

Minnesota high school senior Mai Yiu Vang's Bookland project combines learning activities for children and women in the Hmong community, because Hmong children and families are struggling with literacy, and Hmong teens have been dropping out of school because of illiteracy problems. Together with the Hmong Women's Heritage Association, Vang is working with the Hmong Men's/Women's Circle afterschool program to assist with tutoring.

The Chosen Heirs, a group of 22 fifth graders in McDonough, GA., have created the Books for Breakfast Book Club featuring guest readers and community activities. The students have created themed activities, a book swap, and breakfast readings at selected elementary schools.

Seattle college freshman Emily Hazleton is working with Reading Tools for Life, using videotaping and video presentations to help create reading tools for struggling adults at the Literacy Source Center. The project will help the adult students in the program by recording the students reading and charting their progress and support, and by sharing the program with the community. The project is designed to raise the literacy level of these adults and help them find a place in the community.

In New Hampshire, members of Belmont High School's Student Council have created Hooked on Books—a hospital-based project that partners the Belmont School with Lakes Region General Hospital. The teens are creating and building a hospital reading library, organized reading events, literacy training, and book drives for the children and families.

Ottumwa (Iowa) High School's Teens Advocating Literacy is working with the Ottumwa Regional Health Center to create a Dial a Dream story program for families of newborns and parents of young children, with a concentration on English language learner students and families.

Through the Follow in Our Footsteps Literacy Program, 50 Fairfield, Conn., high school students are working with Shepherds, Inc., a nonprofit organization whose mission is to help inner-city youth in Bridgeport, Stamford, and New Haven. The students will be working with five elementary schools and will do readings featuring reading heroes; conduct book drives; and work with local illustrators and cartoonists, poetry slams, and multicultural readings.

The fourth- and fifth-grade English language learner students of Angus Elementary School in Sterling Heights, Mich., are interviewing class members and families and the residents of the Cherrywood Retirement Center. The interviews are part of an intergenerational literacy project that combines readings, pen pal partnerships with senior citizens, oral history reports and book presentations of the stories at local public libraries.

Together with her local church, Olivia Stinson has created a Pen Pal and Book Club Project that serves the children and families of incarcerated parents in her Charlotte, N.C., community. The literacy project establishes pen pal partnerships between Olivia's peers and the children of incarcerated parents. The two groups will also gather for readings, book review sessions, field trips to films based on children's books, and book group discussions.

The Hemlock Girl Scout Council Young Adult Book Club in Harrisburg, Pa., has created a teen reading discussion group complete with a signature newsletter "Have you read…??" highlighting books read by local middle school students. The council is working with local authors in developing special reading incentives, author visits and reading challenges to engage middle school students. The students created the projects to get their peers excited about reading and to share their own excitement about new books and authors for teens.

The Wilmot J. Fraser Elementary Breakfast Reading Club in Charleston, S.C., conducts weekly reading sessions for their peers at reading centers they created for the local schools. The project is designed for the school's K-3 students, but also includes outreach to the older and younger brothers and sisters of the students.

Students in the Joseph Case Junior High School Literary Book Club in Swansea, Mass., have begun writing, editing, and publishing their own books. The books are included in reading and writing sessions by the literary club with four elementary schools in the Swansea area.

The Cordova Cubs, fourth graders at Cordova (Tennessee) Elementary School are working with English as a Second Language classrooms (grades K–4) to create readings and activity projects, conduct a readers' theater, write book projects, and establish personal libraries for each of the students they help.

The New York State Conference of NAACP Youth and College Division is using its Adopt a School program in New Rochelle to increase the literacy outcomes for Black and Hispanic children in their community through the "Writing Our History" literacy project. The chapter is working with the Flushing High School Champions Club and Parsons Junior High School Beacon Program, engaging the three projects in afterschool literacy programs to track the history of the NAACP in their community. The group is conducting a reading and writing program that will end with a regional conference attended by 500 young people.

Burgettstown (Pennsylvania) Area Elementary Center's Study Buddy program makes model reading teachers of the school's third-grade students, pairing them with kindergarten classes. The extensive reading programs and activities have been developed entirely by the third-grade students. The program will provide books and reading activities for the kindergarten classrooms.

Hope McFarland, an eleventh grader in New Orleans, La., has established the Reading Ambassadors program for Providence House, a homeless shelter for 70 families living there. McFarland's reading project includes guest readers, literacy training, and book donations and takes care of the shelter's children while their mothers are also in training. The project also provides character building resources and activities to help the children and families through this challenging time in their lives.

Alexander Srodes, a Placida (Florida) High School student, author, and wildlife conservationist whose quest is to save the sea turtles and educate the world about the plight of such endangered species, has written a children's book and activity guide and education program for students. Srodes uses his book and activity guide to educate students and communities about the plight of the sea turtles and has even had his book translated into Spanish.

Find out more about Youth Leaders for Literacy grants.

Youth Leaders for Literacy

2006 Grant Winners and Project Summaries

Sydney Steely strives to instill a love of reading in children who live in her rural, economically disadvantaged community. The 15-year-old calls Murfreesboro, Arkansas home. Steely's project targets children ages 5–8. It combines efforts with local businesses, city leaders and media. The teen plans to use the grant money to buy 100 books. Children will gather weekly at the local library. They will initially be issued a complimentary book, and then awarded additional free books as they finish reading. Parents will have to fill out forms to acknowledge that their child either read the book on his or her own or that the parent read to the child. During each session, students will describe the books they read, hopefully sparking the interest of others to read the same book. Steely will hold the children's enthusiasm throughout the project by featuring guest readers, puppet shows, student skits, art projects, parties and prizes that recognize students who read the most books within a seven-week period. Prior to winning the grant, the applicant made arrangements with local businesses and the media to advertise the project. Sydney Steely is an active 4-H Club member. Her inspiration comes from the strong-willed, main character of the book, Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell. Sydney wants to capture that character's drive and use it in every aspect of her life. She is so dedicated to this literacy program that she is willing to pay for parts with her own allowance if needed.

Members of the Smoke Signals Newspaper Staff have adopted an "each one, teach one" philosophy. In September, they created a project called Kid's World. It is based out of their school, Choctawhatchee High in Walton Beach, Florida. They adopted a second-grade class from their feeder school and developed ongoing relationships with the youngsters to promote literacy and provide a positive influence. The 21 applicants want to take that a step further using the Youth Leaders for Literacy Grant. They will visit students weekly, read with them and have the students write book reviews. This process will be photographed and videotaped. At the end of the project, the high school "buddy" will present the grade school "buddy" with a newspaper featuring an article, all the book reviews, photos from the visits, and activities for each book the student read. The entire school will be able to view the videotape. Members of Smoke Signals say they have a unique opportunity to stress the importance of literacy. They say the younger students will think it is "cool" to read and write because the teenagers do.

A self-described "voracious" reader, Jennifer Tao wants to get books to people in disadvantaged and disaster stricken areas. The teen leader is part of the Be the Star You Are program in Moraga, California. The nonprofit organization's goal is to raise self-esteem and improve literacy for women, families and youth. Jennifer chairs their Star Teen Book Review and is the teen coordinator for Operation Hurricane Relief. So far, Be the Star You Are has shipped over $27,000 in books and other resources to the Gulf Coast. Jennifer wants to continue this effort using the Youth Leaders for Literacy Grant. She plans on doing everything from contacting beneficiaries to selecting and packing the books. Ms. Tao will also utilize books already in the organization's possession, but that are inappropriate for distribution. She will price and list them online to raise money for shipping. The young entrepreneur will use the same tactic if grant funds fall short of their efforts. Jennifer tells us, "The joy of delivering knowledge and entertainment is infectious!"

Reaching out, reading and respect. Nine elementary school students hope to realize the three R's using the Youth Leaders for Literacy Grant. They range in age from 7 to 11 and are part of the Emotionally Handicapped class at Moon Lake Elementary School in New Port Richey, Florida. The children want to reach out to youngsters in the pre-kindergarten autistic class, who learn differently just like they do. The older children will use pictures, songs, sign language and a repetitive hearing technique to teach the pre-K students. Over several weeks, they will pair up—spending time together, reading together, and learning how the other communicates. They will share their favorite books and create characters from the book using art supplies. The older students will create an alphabet book using pictures and make books about color for their younger buddies. Together, they will create two large books based on their ability levels. One will go to each class to remind them of the project, their new-found friends, and the mutual respect gained. The oldest child in the group, 11-year old Patrick Bailey, detailed how the project will benefit the community overall: "My project will help kids understand about different disabilities and show how kids with disabilities can really do good things too. It will stop kids from making fun of people with disabilities."

How many students does it take to cook up a great idea, mix in a pinch of fun, and organize a literacy project with some sizzle? Thirty-seven when it comes from the H.E.A.R.T In this case, H.E.A.R.T. stands for Helping Every Achiever Read to Success, a literacy program developed and directed by a student, put on by the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America chapter at Newsome High School in Lithia, Florida . Their goal is to apply an innovative and creative approach to reading. A key ingredient? Integrating culinary arts with literacy. The project targets at-risk, low-income children in grades three and under. Each week, the teens will visit schools, boys and girls clubs and a homeless shelter to read, initiate discussions, make snacks and complete culinary activities related to the books. At the end, the kids will get to be C.O.O.K.S. (Children On a Mission to Output Literacy Skills for Kitchen Success). They will put together scrumptious treats as long as they promise to read recipes and participate in group activities. Participants will walk away with a chef's hat, apron and other prizes. The project makes your mouth water and entices children to become lifelong readers—never quenching their thirst for knowledge.

The United Volunteer Service Club of Monmouth, Illinois is launching eight weeks of events that stress the importance of reading to youngsters. There are 23 high school students in the project they call Seuss on the Loose—United Through Reading. It's a fitting theme since NEA's Read Across America celebrates the birth of famed children's books author, Dr. Seuss. The group wants to make learning fun by reading great books and hosting events and contests. They mapped out daily projects and challenges with an emphasis on a particular subject each week. The topics they will tackle include reading with family, jobs that use reading, and how to get an early start through reading. Members of the club will incorporate activities that involve parents—making literacy a family affair that continues beyond two months.

From black and white printed pages, to the big screen, to real life, a California Girl Scout Troop feels the Chronicles of Narnia books teach core values. The Joshua Tree Council in Bakersfield wants to create a curriculum-based program and book club for foster care children. In their application, the scouts made a profound statement. “In the Chronicles of Narnia books, the main characters are disempowered in their real lives and learn to become empowered and unite. We feel that this book is a wonderful book to help many children in foster care systems who feel disempowered by the war in their own worlds to find inner strength and freedom in reading.” The project involves seven members ranging in age from 13 to 17. To administer the program, they will partner with Aspira, an organization that provides foster homes, adoption services, mental health services, and that helps at-risk families stay together. The Girl Scouts reached out to Disney for help in creating specific programs for the book club. They will use the $500 from the Youth Leaders for Literacy Grant to buy books so that each child can have one to go along with the curriculum.

They dream of safe streets, opportunity and a quiet place where young people and their imaginations can blossom. Stadium School Youth Dreamers, Inc. of Baltimore, Maryland, will use the Youth Leaders for Literacy Grant to create a Saturday Book Buddy Club. Participants will read novels, have discussions, develop creative group projects based on the books and even meet an author. The program will pair a young person with an adult. They will read and do activities together. Members of Youth Dreamers say many adults have negative impressions of youth in the community. This project provides an opportunity to break down walls and bridge the gap between the youth and adults. Youth Dreamers boasts its own mission statement, bylaws and board. They recently researched and identified a house for their youth center. They purchased the property, had it rezoned and are working with an architect to design the house.

They came to the United States to fulfill the American dream. They work 12-hour shifts daily to provide for their families, leaving little time to read to or with their children. Now the children are making strides to help their parents and themselves. Twenty-five young people who immigrated to Frederick, Maryland, from Burma, Asia, are creating a Family Literacy Project (FLiP).  The group, made up of kids from both grade school and high school, will have several major activities to encourage literacy and improve knowledge of the English language. Everyone will learn how to get a library card, and they are required to help at least one other family member get a library card. Students will visit the library with their parents at least once month, which is quite a task when you consider working parents’ schedules. More than 60 percent of the parents work for the same company. FLiP will have a contest and set daily reading goals. They will overcome transportation challenges by paying volunteers a $3 stipend to drive children to and from activities. FLiP members are excited to be a part of this youth-driven literacy program. “This project will help us to learn to be future leaders of our community. This project will make our parents proud.”  Burma is located in South Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal between Bangladesh and Thailand. It is one of the poorest countries in the world.

Twenty-one teens have virtually adopted a nearby Head Start program by donating toys, clothes and food. Now they want to help mold young minds and instill a lifelong love of reading. Members of Future Educators of America (FEA) attend Atholton High School (AHS) in Columbia, Maryland. Every Wednesday, 3- and 4- year-olds from the Head Start Center come to the high school for enrichment activities. There is one thing the older students believe is missing—a children’s library. They plan to use the Youth Leaders for Literacy Grant to buy books unaccessible to underprivileged young people. AHS students will do everything from ordering and organizing books to managing the library and helping children checking out books. The teens will host read alouds and organize a visit by an author. FEA will ask the entire student body at Atholton High to donate their favorite children’s book in honor of their mother or favorite teacher. The teen organizers aren’t just relying on the grant. They also plan to funnel an additional $150 into the library and ask the school to donate book shelves. This is their way of giving back to their community and leading by example.

Five members of the Project LEAD Community Service Organization want to take children where they may have only dreamed of going—around the world. The kids don’t have to pay a cent. They only have to pack their thinking caps, creativity and eagerness to learn. LEAD members in Troy, Michigan, are spearheading a project called Imagination Airlines: Read to Travel the Globe. They will make weekly visits to the Grace Centers of Hope rescue shelter in Pontiac, Michigan, to work with underprivileged children in the Kids Clubhouse program and Teddy Bear Express Day Care Center. The teens will convert the center into an “Imagination Airport.” Children will get “tickets” to guide them on a scavenger hunt from booth to booth. Each booth will include crafts, food, objects and activities from a specific country. After visiting a booth, the child will receive a “guidebook” and “passport.” The guidebook contains facts about different countries. The passport will be used to record the number of minutes the children read that day. LEAD members will combine the creative effort with snacks, prizes and book drives at their school. They hope the project will utilize the power of reading to set flight to children’s imaginations while introducing them to diverse cultures around the world.

Reese Haller wears several hats: avid reader, writer, published author and motivational speaker.  Did we mention he’s only nine years old? The fourth grader is from Bay City, Michigan. He wrote a chapter book last summer called, “Fred the Mouse – The Adventures Begin.”  He also has a DVD called “The Traits of Writing through the Eyes of a Young Author.”  Haller has been going to schools to talk about the importance of reading and writing and how they helped him publish his own book. The young author wants to expand his outreach, but transportation can be tough for a nine year old! That’s where the Youth Leaders for Literacy Grant comes in. Haller will use the money to get to speaking engagements at 71 area schools.  There, he will read to elementary school students in grades two through four. Reese will also leave behind an autographed copy of his book, in hopes of inspiring others.

Reading, writing and a cup of joe. Sixty-eight members of the Young Scholars Community Initiative in Utica, New York, are combining those elements to reach out to low-income teens who live in the Cornhill neighborhood of Utica. Members of Young Scholars attend Proctor High School. They want to create a teen-run coffee shop that will function as a community arts center and performance venue as well. They have already raised $2,500. The Youth Leaders for Literacy Grant will take them a step closer to their goal. Organizers plan to bring students and faculty from Hamilton College into the community weekly to host literacy-based workshops and performances. The kick-off event will feature performances by poets, rappers, hip hop artists and authors. In the following weeks, organizers will offer workshops on writing and performing spoken-word poetry, rhymes and raps. They will also have an open mike night, song lyric writing workshop and a final performance for prizes. The teens feel this program provides a unique avenue to discuss literacy in a “cool” way.

Barbara Fenig plans to combine literacy and recovery efforts. After visiting New Orleans, the 17-year-old from New York City fell in love with the southern city. She wants to create a reading related service project that will get books to libraries devastated by Hurricane Katrina or overwhelmed with storm evacuees. Fenig wants to organize weekly town hall meetings through the Calhoun School, where she is a junior. During these forums, one student will read aloud a short story from a collection called, “My New Orleans: Ballads to the Big Easy by Her Sons, Daughters and Lovers.” They will collect books each week and distribute them later. Fenig hopes the effort will promote literacy and remind her community to continue to support the recovery in the South.

Get R.E.A.D.Y., get set, go! A 17-year old senior is leading a literacy projected called R.E.A.D.Y. (Reading Is an Excellent Activity for Dads and Youth). It combines reading and family interaction. Pariesa Eggleston attends New Castle High School in New Castle, Pennsylvania. She envisions partnering with Lawrence County Social Services’ Project D.A.D. program. It’s designed to enhance bonding and relationships between fathers/caregivers and children up to age 12. Eggleston plans to organize trips to the library, read alouds, creative activities related to stories, meals and contests. The organizer will take pictures of families and give them a memory book to remind them their time together.

Kayla Tucker is using her project to promote literacy and to teach elementary and high school students about the Asian culture. She is 14 years old and a 10th grader at Coventry High School in Coventry, Rhode Island. Her eight-week plan includes a sit-down with an author. The older kids will have an opportunity to draw manga books and dress like manga characters. Manga is the Japanese word for comic book. Others will participate in a workshop with a renowned Japanese storyteller to hear folk tales, learn how to tell stories and learn how to inspire others. Students will read Kamishibai cards at local day care centers to children. Kamishibai cards are part of a tradition on long, Asian picture storytelling. The front has a picture and the back has original Japanese text with the English translation. High school students will also read, discuss and interpret works by Chinese philosopher Confucius.

The Girl Power Community Service Group will take to stages across their area to read aloud and act out original stories, nursery rhymes, fairy tales and Dr. Seuss books. Their audience will be preschool, kindergarten and first-grade children at numerous day care and after school programs. Through art, they hope to motivate children to get interested in reading and become avid readers. Each member of the Memphis, Tennessee, group will help compose music and dances for the existing books. They will also write and illustrate an original story that will be bound, decorated and distributed to the children. They also plan to send these books to the Memory Project, which helps get books to children in Uganda, Africa.

Members of the Johnson County Middle School Beta Club will launch a program called “Authors and Radio Readers.”  The group is from Butler, Tennessee. They will write and illustrate a book aimed at elementary schoolchildren. The book will be professionally published. The students will distribute the books to five area schools for students to read in the classroom. The Beta Club convinced a local radio station to allow members to read their books on-air once a week between Read Across America Day (March 2) and Youth Service America’s National Youth Service Days (April 21-23). The students will also read to youngsters in classrooms and donate their book to each of the elementary and middle school public libraries.

When you have nothing but the clothes on your back, sometimes a book can provide comfort. Sixteen-year-old students, Kirsten Horger and Chandler Tyler, volunteer with an organization called HomeAgain. It helps homeless men, women and children in the Richmond, Virginia, area. The Espigh family shelter offers temporary shelter for women and children. Too often, the teens have seen the confusion and fear on the faces of children entering the facility. They want to create books to get the kids comfortable and familiar with their surroundings and opportunities at the shelter. One book will simply offer pictures for children too young to read. The others will have pictures of the facility and people, along with words. The teens will get help from their peers through the Leadership Center atJames River High School. They will read to children the first week, then progress the project by taking pictures, interviewing, writing and taking the pages for professional printing. The teens will sponsor a parent-child read-along and a party to celebrate the finished product. Horger and Tyler’s goal is to welcome and support the children and their parents. “These children arrive from a variety of unsettling circumstances. We want each family to feel like they can learn to love their temporary home while they plan and work toward finding their own housing.”

Eugenia Solomon will use her Youth Leaders for Literacy Grant to help at-risk students who struggle with basic reading. The 21-year-old college sophomore lives in Washington, D.C. Her project will feature five weekly creative writing workshops at DC WritersCorps. Students between 13 and 17 will participate in local readings, poetry competitions and cultural activities in addition to creating their own anthologies. The teens will receive rigorous creative writing training and will be expected to write, edit, publish and read their writings. Solomon wants teens to walk away from the program with a better sense of self, vocabulary and a better outlook on writing and literature.

Grab your passports and hold on to your “Reading Hats” . . . Next stop, Whoville!  Carly Hockenberry, a student at Glendale High School in Flinton, Penn., is among the 2005 Youth Leaders for Literacy Grant winners for her creative after school event “Passport to Whoville,” which took students on a reading trip through the imagination.

Joining Carly in this year’s diverse group of winners is Matthew Her Many Horses of the Rosebud Indian Reservation in Mission, S.D., who stood at school bus stops dressed as the Cat in the Hat to encourage students to read.

NEA and Youth Service America (YSA) developed the Youth Leaders for Literacy program to encourage and celebrate literacy service of our nation's young people and honor them for doing reading-related activities that benefit others.

We were delighted to receive over 200 grant applications from groups and individuals making reading a priority in their lives and directing energy, enthusiasm, and wisdom into service to their communities. Below is the final selection of this year’s grant winners. Congratulations to all who participated, NEA’s Read Across America team will be contacting you with a list of additional resource organizations for your project.

Here's a sampling of this year's highlights:

In West Plains, MO, Desiree Phillips , a volunteer at the Christos House shelter for battered women, will be coordinating a literacy program that will not only help the children of the shelter but also the women, who themselves have struggled with literacy. The project would guide women and children into literacy with library visits, book recordings, bookstore visits, and readings.

In Johnson, IA, Jennifer Winzenburg, a high school volunteer on Kids Radio Mania, KDPS FM88.1, has made literacy a priority by using her volunteer services at the radio station to begin a special project called “Radio Reading Reviews.” Jennifer will travel to local elementary schools and tape children giving rave reviews about their favorite books. These taped reviews will then be aired on a weekend show and will include information on how children can find the featured books at their local libraries or bookstores.

In Longview, TX the Spring Hill Leaders Core will be adding to the excitement of reading through a project called “Tales of Teddy” kicking off on March 2nd and ending on April 15th. They will be encouraging elementary students needing additional help with reading to meet with them for one hour a week. Each week will have a reading theme that will be accompanied by various activities that coincide with the weekly theme. The final theme of their project is “Teddy Get Ready” in which each student participating in the reading project will receive their own stuffed teddy bear. Each participating student will stuff, dress, and name their own new reading bear.

In Portland, OR, the Rambunctious Readers of PAL will be using their volunteer services to read to area preschool students and leave books for the preschool children to use in their reading center. They will be hosting a book drive at a local bookstore and creating bookmarks to hand out to youths receiving books from their book drive. They will also be researching various foreign languages and selecting three foreign languages to learn the basics themselves and in turn teach to other interested youths for Learn a Language Day.

In LasCruces, NM, Hillrise Elementary fifth grade students will be reaching out to their community by initiating their “Baking a Batch of Good Readers” project. Their project will combine youth’s love of sweets and stories. Beginning on March 2nd these students will take the city bus to the Christian Day Nursery once a week and will take turns reading to the children. After reading books the children will enjoy snacking on a deliciously, sweet treat that was mentioned in the featured book. The nursery will receive a copy of every book read to be included in their reading center.

In Mercersburg, PA, 16 members of the Technology Student Association (TSA) from James Buchanan High School will be encouraging students at elementary, middle school, and high school levels to join in the excitement of reading with activities tailored to their level. Elementary children will read across America through the use of a booklet, developed by TSA, containing a page for each state, including little known facts about that state, authors from the featured state. Students traveling across America through literature will receive a certificate and a prize. Middle school students will be encouraged to read books from different regions of America. TSA will select the winning homeroom and present them with a prize. TSA members and Spanish club members will repair aging books and sponsor the creation of English/Spanish children’s book. High school students will write children’s stories in their English class, pass these stories on to the Spanish Club to translate, create illustrations, produce multiple copies using a printing press and distribute these new children’s books to area elementary schools, area dentist offices, doctor offices, hair studios, auto shops and daycares. TSA will also distribute these books on International Children’s day on April 2nd.

In Hague, VA,  “Literacy Lady” Rebecca Jones from Cople Elementary will be hosting a seven week story hour and book talk beginning on March 2nd . Local businesses will be donate door prizes to accompany her selection of books and community members will join in as guest readers. Jones will also write   book review for the local paper and sponsor a book drive.

In Mission, SD, Matthew Her Many Horses will encourage fellow students from his reservation, Rosebud Indian Reservation to read books from his book cart while waiting for their school bus. He will entice students to participate by dressing as the Cat in the Hat and explaining the project to the students. He will invite guest readers to join the students and read, host a book hunt, introduce the project to parents, have book theme weeks where students create crafts reflecting the theme, and have a reading celebration for all who participate in this seven week project.

In Overland Park, KS, enrichment students from Blue Valley North High School will show their appreciation for valuable literacy skills through their project called “Mission to Read Adventure”. They will be hosting various activities, such as book creating, arts and crafts, games and plays, during their sessions at a local elementary school to bring fun to their reading sessions. They will center their activities around classic stories from Aesop’s Fables such as The Tortoise and the Hare, The Boy Who Cried Wolf and The Lion and the Mouse. They will focus on different aspects of literacy each week while assisting elementary students to develop fun literary tools that will aid them in their comprehension.

In Oneonta, NY, college students, Justine LaMantia and Teresa Tartaglione, will be jumping in on the action by traveling to neighboring schools to introduce contemporary young adult literature to students. Their goal is to spark curiosity in both teachers and students about contemporary young adult literature and involve them in a young adult literature seminar on the State University College of Oneonta campus. They will provide seminar attendees with workshops ranging from read-a-loud and young adult literature sharing sessions They will host book clubs and donate books used at the seminar to local schools to encourage awareness of contemporary young adult literature.

In Flinton, PA, Carly Hockenberry, a student at Glendale High School will be hosting a school assembly at a local elementary school to generate excitement for a reading competition. Students will be challenged to keep reading logs of their books and have an accompanying parent signature on them. Awards and prizes will be given to the top readers in K-3 and 4-6. The week of NEA’s Read Across America will be filled with school-wide activities, games, and art contest portraying student’s favorite Dr. Seuss character. He will host an after school event called “Passport to Whoville” in which students arriving  will receive a passport to be carried with them throughout the school and checked off after participating in each activity. Students presenting a complete passport will receive a book prize.

In Barker, NY, the middle school members of Junior Friends of the Barker Free Library will encourage kids to visit and use the Barker Free Library. Working together these students will turn a section of the library into a Dr. Seuss themed children’s room, filling it with life size characters and scenery. They will host seven story hours, have guest speakers, explore languages and food of various cultures, and host a celebration for all who participate in the sessions. With the help of the library they will obtain new books for the library and donate them to be apart of their permanent collection.

In Gainesville, GA, the Alpha Lambda Delta college students from Brenau University Campus will be working with at-risk adolescent girls at a local non-profit organization called Gainesville Adolescent Project (GAP).  They will be building mentor relationships with these adolescents and not only engaging them in literature but also assisting them in their ability to function within society. They have planned weekly activities to expand these young adults out look on life, such as visiting art exhibits, story telling, holding literary discussion sessions, reading plays as well as developing their own plays depictive of their life experiences.

In Ripon, Wisconsin the college members of Ripon CAN (Community Action Network) – Bilingual Literacy Leadership Committee will bridge the cultural divide between locals and Hispanic migrants. They plan on implementing both language learning and diversity programs in fun atmospheres that target students of all backgrounds. They will encourage parents to take an active role in the education process regardless of the language barriers by providing local elementary schools with full text bilingual children’s books which may then be incorporated into reading programs. They will work with other academic departments to create Accelerated Reader quizzes to accompany texts. They will also host two separate bilingual reading sessions at a local elementary school. The students will enjoy read-a-loud and storytelling sessions, and will enjoy participating in the creation of a bilingual coloring book.

In Cleveland, Ohio, Anita Isom, middle school student at St. Mary’s will be encouraging students to sign up for a library card and use the library on a regular basis. Local libraries will waive library fees to help Anita in her effort to reinstate youth library cards. Anita will be hosting a book drive, establishing a book club, hosting workshops on how to write your own story and bookmaking, a teen poetry slam and she hopes her efforts will create a new generation of authors and offer youth activities that are both positive and fun.

In Indianapolis, IN, high school members of the Indianapolis Writers’ Center VOICE will be launching an on-line journal for Indiana high-school students. They will make announcements for entries of creative writing, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for the VOICE on-line journal. They will be offering workshops at their weekly VOICE meetings to all interested in being introduced to creative writing. They will host a learning session with the guidance of local literary journal editors and librarians to present information on literary journals and how copy editing and journal selections are made. They will also initiate a visit to a professional poetry reading at a local college and host an open house reading party where the site will be officially launched.

ESL club in GamewellMiddle School will add momentum to the literary movement by assisting native tongue students to learn English by reading English books. They will visit local elementary schools and read to Spanish speaking students. They will create a documentary composed of their experiences as they themselves help one another to learn English and encourage elementary school students to be encouraged to continue in their struggle to learn English.

In New York, NY, a group of students, at the High School for Health Profession and Human Service, will be helping parents and children at the Chinese Health Center become familiar with literary resources within their community through field trips to the library, obtaining library cards, and read different types of books. They will encourage children to be more outspoken through art activities, expand their imagination through book making, think critically by comparing same subject matter of two different literary formats (book vs. video), play reenactments, teaching local children about their own cultural background through literacy and art focusing specifically on bilingual Chinese and English speakers, and encouraging children to use their problem solving and team skills by engaging them in a scavenger hunt at a local park.

In Prattville, AR, Daniel Pratt Elementary student Katie Fladung will be inviting guest speakers to read in different classes at her school in honor of NEA’s Read Across America Day. She will also be hosting a library night where parents and students come to the library and enjoy reading books together while they share pizza and drinks. Local news and media coverage will help promote the many events going on at her school, such as free book drawings from donated books, book reading contests, a school book walk, book trivia and silly sock day.

In Queens, NY, middle and high school members of the Angels of Literacy program will join in on the enthusiasm of literacy by holding peer group, read-a-loud, and story telling sessions at the Far Rockaway Branch Library. They will engage children through reading activities, arts and crafts and worksheet reviews. Their focus will be on encouraging local children to be hungry to gain knowledge about how to pick books from different genres, keep busy in a positive way and to bring positive attention to the benefits of the local library.

In San Antonio, TX, the Peer Assistant Leadership Students (PALS) Book Club has created a bilingual reading Sesussian reading project to help all pre-k through third graders in a community that lacks bookstores and a local library. The project will feature guest readers, family reading activities, and book celebrations.

In Placentia, CA, Garrett Trinkle and Leah Espinoza will be teaching the young children of HIS House homeless shelter and the Bradford Boys and Girls Club to read and love reading. The young leaders will be working closely with local community leaders as guest readers and will be coordinating reading incentive projects with the children.

In Cheyenne, WY, the Laramie County Library Youth Advisory Board will be working to create a library for the juvenile jail facility at the Jeffery C. Wardle Academy, a detention and redirection program for teens. Board members will work with therapists and jail inmates to set up the library and develop a reading program at the jail.

In Conyers, GA, the Super Stars of Baldwin County will be working with community groups like the Reading Grannies to share the joy of reading with local schoolchildren. The Super Stars will be reading to local schoolchildren and with the Green Acres Nursing Home and coordinating trainings, reading contests, and reading celebrations.

Send comments to readacross@nea.org

Grants Awarded for Student-Lead Projects

What is Youth Leaders for Literacy?

Youth Leaders for Literacy is an initiative of the National Education Association (NEA) and Youth Service America (YSA) to help youth direct their enthusiasm and creativity into reading-related service projects. During the six-week program period and beyond, we hope to create a groundswell of literacy service in communities across the country.

The NEA and Youth Service America developed the Youth Leaders for Literacy program in 2001 to encourage and celebrate literacy service of our nation's young people, and to provide them with resources to conduct reading-related activities that benefit others. Making a difference in the lives of America's children is what the relationship between the NEA and YSA is all about.

The power in participating

Something very powerful happens when you're involved in literacy service. You receive the intrinsic rewards of being involved in your community, but you also learn more about yourself and the importance that reading plays in your own life. Being able to read makes everything else possible, including the ability to make meaningful, lifelong contributions to your community.

More information

• Who can apply?
  Applicants, ages 21 or younger, can be either individuals or groups.
  
  
• When is the deadline?
  Grant applications must be postmarked by November 21, 2005.
  
  Applications are available here (  69KB, 4pp).
  
  
• How many grants are awarded?
  Each year the National Education Association awards 20 grants of $500 each to student-led initiatives.
  
  
• When are winners announced?
  Winners are usually announced in late December.
  
  
• What kinds of activities are acceptable?
  To be eligible for grant funds, applicants must include a scheduled activity (read aloud session, trip to the library, book-making, etc.) each week of the project period as part of the proposed service project.
  
  
• Are winners obligated to report on their projects?
  Yes. Grant award winners must complete and return the project evaluation form received with their check.
  
  
• What do judges look for?
  
  • Youth leadership in developing and implementing the project
  • The involvement of youth in preparing and submitting the grant application
  • The capacity of the individual or group to administer the grant
  • The impact of the project on those providing service and those being served
  • Complete applications, including all requested support materials

Who received grants in 2006?

Read detailed information about the 2006 winners whose zeal and dedication so impressed our judges last year.

Send comments to readacross@nea.org