Books On Display During the Mayor’s State of the City Luncheon
Thanks to a generous donation from Scholastic Education, Read Fort Worth delivered more than 1,000 books and more than 100 Clifford the Big Red Dog plush toys to the Fort Worth ISD. The early elementary school-level books and Clifford toys adorned each of the tables at the State of the City luncheon.
Mayor Betsy Price mentioned the importance of the city’s collective impact strategy on early literacy during her annual address on February 19.
The books will be used next month as Fort Worth ISD reaches out to engage families during the District’s Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten Roundup. The District’s bookmobile will visit targeted neighborhoods and give the books to our youngest readers, along with copies of “Countdown to Kindergarten” for their parents. Online registration for FWISD Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten begins April 1.
Fort Worth ISD’s early literacy initiative – called 100 X 25 FWTX – sets a goal of 100% of third-graders reading on grade level or above by the year 2025. Superintendent Kent P. Scribner is partnering with Mayor Price and BNSF Executive Chairman Matt Rose to lead the community-wide Read Fort Worth initiative.
Anel Mercado is the executive director of Read Fort Worth and worked with Scholastic Education to provide the books.
“Read Fort Worth was honored to be featured in the State of the City luncheon and appreciative of the Mayor’s support,” Ms. Mercado said. “We’re also grateful to Scholastic Education for their generous donation of books and Clifford toys. Scholastic has been a wonderful partner to Read Fort Worth and Fort Worth ISD. The Classroom Libraries are a valuable resource for the District’s early-literacy initiatives and with Scholastic’s gift at the State of the City, we’re able to put books in the hands of the children in our community.”
This collective impact strategy engages parents, grandparents, and caregivers as well as volunteers from the city’s business sector, higher education, non-profit organizations, and the faith-based community.