Celebrating Dr. Seuss and Reading

Dr. Seuss would have been proud! UWGT, which is the lead partner for the Shawnee County Campaign for Grade Level Reading, celebrated the author’s birthday on March 2 with students at Ross, Highland Park Central and Scott Dual Language Magnet elementary schools. Together with CGLR partners Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library and Topeka Housing Authority, we handed out 1,500 books, enough for every student at all three schools.

At each stop Kyler Carpenter from the Library warmed up the audience. Jillian Fisher, Senior Director for Community Impact for UWGT introduced reader Rob Banks, THA board member and newly retired from the Library. Rob provided an energetic reading of the classic Cat in the Hat. Marie Pyko from the Library wrapped up the presentation, and THA and United Way staff handed out bookmarks before the students got their books.  

The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (CGLR) is a national collaborative effort that works to ensure low-income families succeed in school and graduate prepared for college, a career, and active citizenship. The Campaign focuses on an important predictor of school success and high school graduation—grade-level reading by the end of third grade.

Shawnee County was one of the first communities to be a part of the national Campaign for Grade Level Reading and is led by United Way of Greater Topeka as it aligns directly with their education impact work. Through a network of community organizations, the Campaign works to reduce chronic absenteeism, summer learning loss and gaps in school readiness for children in Shawnee County. 

https://www.facebook.com/SNCOGradeLevelReading/