Racine Reads: Dream Big! A Year-Long Reading Initiative Program

Local school to win $100,000 library makeover in reading contest sponsored by SC Johnson, others. (Racine Journal-Times, 10/1/2011)

Excerpt:  SC Johnson and other community partners are underwriting a yearlong reading initiative to spur area elementary students, with pizza parties and iPads, toward an audacious goal: To read 1 million books.

In a joint announcement on Saturday, SCJ, the city and other community leaders kicked off Racine Reads: Dream Big! as part of this year's Downtown Party on the Pavement. It's a communitywide challenge for all K-5 students in public, private and parochial schools east of Interstate 94 to collectively read 1 million books during the 2011-2012 school year.

The program, expected to cost more than $200,000, includes a $100,000 grand prize library makeover for the school that reads the most books per child. In addition to book reading, book clubs and a battle of the books to rally students, there are two special events planned for October - including live shows and performances of classics - geared toward bringing reading to life.