BBB4E Organizes Read Across Hammond Week
Non-Profit Expands Campaign for Literacy with 1st Annual Read Across Hammond Week
February/March 2024
Book, Brushes & Bands for Education (BBB4E) is expanding the Book Brigade from door-to-door book deliveries to district wide in-school programming. This partnership between the School City of Hammond and BBB4E will bring story hour to all SCH 2nd grade students.
To celebrate Read Across America Day (March 2, 2024), BBB4E is working to bring story hour to every School City of Hammond elementary school (February 26 - March 1, 2024), sharing books person-to-person, page-by-page. Volunteers will read the same book to second grade students district wide. The 2024 book selection is How to be a Lion by Ed Vere. The story addresses the issues of bullying and supports kindness through fun animal characters.
We will be reading in 36 second grade classes, reading to over 700 students. All participants will complete a writing project which promotes kindness and is related to the book. We are working with over 30 community leaders to make this happen and are proud to have representation from Hammond City Hall, PNW, Calumet College, Ivy Tech, Peoples Bank, Tri-State Automation, Hasse Construction, Hammond Public Library, NWI Urban League, NWI Times among other regional leaders.
Saturday, March 2 the week will end with a free event open to the public at the Hammond Public Library. From 1pm to 4pm the first floor of the library will come alive with arts and writing projects appropriate for all ages that celebrate reading. Volunteers will read books like How to Be a Lion for live story hours, guests are invited to participate by writing, drawing and reading stories of their own, and there will be free books available from the Book Brigade.
The purpose of this project is to encourage reading not only for our youngest students but also adults. In future years, the goal is to expand to Read Across the Region, promoting enthusiasm about books to every grade level and every classroom in Northwest Indiana.
How to be a Lion, Ed Vere: 12 Elementary Schools, 36 Volunteer Readers
Readings taking place:
Monday February 26, 2024 through Friday March 1, 2024
Ian Brundige, Communications and Development, Mgr. 219-218-3029
