Jean Szymanski, Education Coordinator with the Forest Service, Southwestern Region, was the guest reader at the National Education Association’s (NEA) Read Across America Day. Read Across America Day is an annual event sponsored by the NEA to promote literacy. This year they read The Lorax, the classic tale of a forest guardian who shares the enduring power of hope.
NEA’s Read Across America Program is their signature literacy effort to help children develop a love of reading.
“NEA’s national Read Across America celebration is not just about one hour or one day of reading,” said NEA President Dennis Van Roekel. “It is about cultivating a lifetime of good reading habits in students that will translate into academic success.”
Gil Sanchez Elementary School in Jarales was chosen as one of 20 sites nationally to take part in this event. They received an entire Dr. Suess library and a $1000 check from Mazda, who was sponsoring the event. Senator Sanchez whose father the school was named after was also at the event. Students, parents, educators and the entire community got to share the joy of reading by hearing the Lorax say, “UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
In addition to listening to the story, students also got to have their pictures taken with the Lorax.
This information was originally published in EE Connections for Spring 2012 [PDF].