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8.03.2017

JetBlue "Soar with Reading" Event this Sunday at The Strand

Hey NYC: How does 100,000 FREE books into the hands of underprivileged kids here in the city sound? Have I got your attention? Great! Bring on the online #BookBattle.

Here's the back story -- Soar with Reading, a program designed to champion reading in children, was created by JetBlue Airways (through their JetBlue For Good program) & Random House Children's Books in 2011. To date, Soar with Reading has given out over 2,750,000 books to kids living in "book deserts," areas where children & their families have little or no access to purchase age-appropriate books, which we all know can stunt academic development. A truly incredible effort!


So, how do we get those books coming our way? Turns out one little vote (and a whole lot of spreading the word) is all it takes. You see, this online Book Battle is between NYC, Los Angeles, Boston and San Francisco. Whoever gets the most votes wins the contest, and we are currently in 2nd PLACE behind Boston. Boooo.... (sorry, Boston)!


To drum up excitement for this year's Soar with Reading competition, NYC residents & tourists alike are invited to Strand Bookstore this Sunday, August 6th, from 12-2pm. Authors R.J. Palacio (Wonder) and Chris Grabenstein (Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library) will be present for a meet & greet & book signing. Guests will enjoy complimentary scoops from JetBlue's local ice cream partner, Blue Marble, while also learning about the Soar with Reading program.

One last bit of good news: in an effort to measure Soar with Reading's impact, research was done in Detroit and Washington, D.C. after vending machine were installed in those cities. The results were more than positive:
  • Three out of four children with access to the vending machines scored higher on early literacy exams than before they had access to the machines.
  • Children who did not use the machine on average scored lower on the test.
  • Parents in neighborhoods with the machines had more knowledge about their children’s reading habits compared to parents in areas without the machines.
So come on out! Bring your little reader and support an amazing cause from JetBlue and Random House Children's Books. And don't forget to VOTE





Disclosure: I am being compensated to promote this event and the Soar with Reading program by JetBlue. All opinions herein are my own.

1 comment:

Monica said...

What an amazing partnership!

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