FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

[date]

CONTACT:
Spokesperson
Title
Organization
Telephone
Fax
Email Address
Web Site Address

[Name of Organization] Accepts the America Reads Challenge

[City, State] - The [organization] is helping to meet the America Reads Challenge by participating in a national U.S. Department of Education program called READ*WRITE*NOW! The America Reads Challenge is a grassroots organization dedicated to ensuring that every child reads well and independently by the end of the third grade. The READ*WRITE*NOW! program encourages children to read 30 minutes a day, five days a week, including once a week with a learning partner, and to learn at least one new vocabulary word each day. Children are also encouraged to sign up for and use a library card.

"Research shows that as little as 30 minutes a day can make a tremendous difference for improving a child's reading skills," says [name/title of the spokesperson]. "We are sponsoring READ*WRITE*NOW! to make sure that children in our community get the help they need early on."

The [name of organization] is encouraging community members - including parents, teachers, librarians, senior citizens, college students and high school students - to volunteer as learning partners. All a person has to do is offer his or her time once a week to tutor a child reading. Sign-up sheets are available for interested individuals. The [organization] also provides copies of the U.S. Department of Education's activity poster "READ*WRITE*NOW! with Arthur and friends which has easy ideas for making time spent with children rewarding and productive.

The [organization] is working with a number of community groups to recruit volunteers and spread the word about the America Reads Challenge and READ*WRITE*NOW! These include: [list names of the community organizations and the ways they are involved]. For more information or to become involved, contact [organization] at [phone].

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Sample Press Release for Launching a Literacy Program:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

[date]

CONTACT:
Spokesperson
Title
Organization
Telephone
Fax
Email Address
Web Site Address

[Name of Organization] Gears Up to Launch its [name of program] Literacy Program

[City, State] - [Organization] is gearing up to launch its [name of program] literacy program this fall. In a partnership with the America Reads Challenge and the [school district], the [name of program] will be dedicated to ensuring that every child in [area/city/town] reads well and independently by the end of the third grade.

The [name of organization] is encouraging community members - including parents, teachers, librarians, senior citizens, college students and high school students - to volunteer as literacy tutors. All a person has to do is offer his or her time twice a week to tutor a child in reading. The [organization] will provide training, handbooks and materials courtesy of the US. Department of Education.

"Research has consistently shown that well-designed tutoring programs that use volunteers and other nonprofessionals as tutors can be effective in improving children's reading skills," says [name of spokes person]. Students with below-average reading skills who are tutored by volunteers show significant gains in reading skills when compared with similar students who do not receive tutoring from a high-quality tutoring program.

The [organization] is working with a number of community groups to recruit volunteers and spread the word about the America Reads Challenge and [name of program]. These include: [list names of the community organizations and the ways they are involved].

For more information or to become [name of program] volunteer, contact [organization] at [phone].

###