Congressman Cohen to Read to Memphis Elementary School Students

“It’s vitally important that children learn to read and that they have access to books and educational materials,” said Congressman Cohen. “Reading is the basic building block of all education, no matter what curriculum a student pursues. In visiting these schools it is my hope to inspire students and to reinforce the message that education is vital to their future success. Whenever I spend time with students, I’m re-energized in my fight to make certain that every child has the educational access needed to learn and succeed.”

Read Across America is sponsored by the 3.2 million-member NEA, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P. and more than 50-national partner organizations. It is a year-round literacy campaign designed to motivate children to read by making it fun. Read Across America Day is celebrated each March, the birthday month of Ted Geisel, also known as beloved children’s author Dr. Seuss.

“When children open the pages of a good book, reading can ignite their imaginations and open the doors to a reading wonderland,” said NEA President Reg Weaver. “Although children have many distractions like TV, video games and high-tech gadgets, nothing rivals the power of reading the written word. The challenge is cutting through the competitive clutter to get children energized about reading. That’s why Read Across America has been so successful at cultivating a love of books for young readers – it makes reading just plain fun,” According to the NEA, Read Across America Day is one of the nation’s largest reading celebrations and is expected to draw more than 45 million participants.

For more information, visit the NEA Read Across America website at nea.org/readacross/index.html

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Contact:
Marilyn Dillihay, Press Secretary, (202) 225-3265 / (202) 368-9275
Charlie Gerber, Communications Assistant, (202) 225-3265 / (202) 320-2817
Susan Sowell, Executive Assistant, (901) 544-4131 / (202) 431-1607