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| Date: | October 10, 2011 | | Contact Name: | Susan Closmore | | Contact Phone: | 651-296-5712 | | Contact Email: | susan.closmore@senate.mn | |
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| SENATOR CARLA NELSON & SUNSET TERRACE ELEMENTARY HELP SET TWO NEW WORLD RECORDS ON OCTOBER 6 Children in Rochester Join Jumpstart’s "Read for the Record" to Raise Awareness about the Importance of Early Education |
Rochester– Senator Carla Nelson participated in Jumpstart’s “Read for the Record” today, Thursday, October 6, 2011. Together with Jumpstart and the Pearson Foundation, she and the Rochester School District joined children and adults across the country to set two new reading records – for the largest shared reading experience and, for the first time this year, the largest digital reading experience – as part of the nationwide early education awareness campaign that each fall focuses national attention on the importance of reading.
“Early on in my teaching career, I recognized the importance of reading at grade level. That’s why I worked hard, in addition to pursuing a Masters in Teacher Leadership, to earn certification as a reading specialist. Literacy is a fundamental building block that our students cannot progress without,” said Senator Nelson. “Jumpstart’s ‘Read for the Record’ event today spread the word about early childhood education and highlighted the value of reading for our youngest citizens.”
Presented in partnership with the Pearson Foundation for the sixth consecutive year, 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. To date, more than seven million people have joined local “Read for the Record” reading celebrations.
This year the Pearson Foundation, with the help of schools and communities, will donate 50,000 books through a new We Give Books reading campaign -- Read for Our Schools.
Starting today, for every book read online as part of the Read for Our Schools campaign (www.wegivebooks.org/campaigns/read-for-our-schools) the Pearson Foundation will donate a brand-new copy of the official "Read for the Record" book – Llama Llama Red Pajama, by Anna Dewdney. More than 10,000 schools will receive books through Read for Our Schools.
In partnership with Jumpstart and the Pearson Foundation, Senator Nelson supports early education and encourages the entire community to participate in Jumpstart’s “Read for the Record” today.
For more information about Jumpstart’s “Read for the Record,” visit www.wegivebooks.org/readfortherecord today and learn how to register for this year’s campaign.
Media Contact:
Stacey Finkel
Pearson Foundation
Stacey.finkel@pearsonfoundation.org
703.304.1377
Event Contact:
Dawn Schuster
507.328.3770
507.328.3774
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About Senator Nelson
Sen. Carla Nelson is the vice chair of the Senate Education committee. She is a former Rochester teacher and a reading specialist. Sen. Nelson represents district 30, the communities of Chatfield, Dover, Eyota, Elgin, Plainview, Stewartville and Rochester.
