By Denise Jennex
NEA’s Read Across America is an annual reading motivation and awareness program that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading on or around Dr. Seuss’s birthday. In cities and towns across the nation, teachers, teenagers, librarians, politicians, actors, athletes, parents, grandparents, and others develop NEA’s Read Across America activities to bring reading excitement to children of all ages.
In May 1997, a small reading task force at NEA came up with an idea to create a day to celebrate reading and to celebrate it on Dr. Seuss’s birthday. On March 2, 1998, the largest celebration of reading this country has ever seen began.
The National Education Association sponsors and spearheads the program with support from forty national nonprofit and association partners. Locally, anyone, from schools to libraries to community centers to churches to hospitals to bookstores, etc., are invited to host local events to celebrate and promote children’s reading.