Five Columbus district schools participated in the chain reading experience.

By IKE MGBATOGU

Contributing Writer

COLUMBUS – Seven million people and counting... 

That’s the total number of people who have participated, to date, in the local read for the record celebrations each year across the country. And this year’s campaign promised to be even bigger and better.

The Columbus City School district has always enthusiastically been a big part of this national orb that promotes the importance of reading through the ‘Jumpstart’s Read for the Record.’  This year’s experience took place on October 6, with students from the Columbus City Schools joining their peers and adults across the country in a nationwide campaign to highlight the importance of reading and literacy. 

The campaign occurs every fall.  And for the past six years, it has featured the involvement of Pearson Foundation, which along with the Columbus City Schools, had the goal of setting two new records this year, one for the largest shared reading experience, and the other for the largest digital reading effort.

The spokeswoman for the Columbus City Schools Jacqueline D. Bryant explained why the district is always thrilled to be a part of this campaign.

“Jumpstart’s Read for the Record Campaign shares the love of reading with millions of children and families while calling attention to the importance of early education,” she said. 

Bryant also said the district strongly supports early education and praised the ongoing partnership with Jumpstart in this effort to promote the importance reading.

Five Columbus district schools participated in the chain reading experience, including Woodcrest Elementary School; Avalon Elementary School; Linden STEM Academy; West Mound Elementary School; and Moler Elementary School.

Jumpstart, which is a national early education organization that helps children develop language and literacy skills, and Pearson Foundation have been dedicated to this effort for years.  Over the years, Jumpstart has raised $6 million for this effort and Pearson Foundation has donated a truckload of books totaling nearly one million to the cause.

The books are usually donated to local schools, libraries and community centers where children usually go to read and spend time during after school hours. 

The Pearson Foundation, which is a nonprofit group that lends its educational expertise to help in classrooms and in local communities, is also working with ‘We Give Books Reading Campaign,’ and said it would donate 50,000 books through the group.  ‘We Give Books’ is a philanthropic program that helps children become lifelong readers and givers.  It partners with the Pearson Foundation “to engage communities” through reading and literacy programs.

Mgbatogu is a freelance writer and editor of Onumba.com based in Columbus.  He can be reached by email at Onumbamedia@yahoo.com