*The
Sci High
(New Orleans Public Schools
Science & Math Academy)
Read-a-thon
started as an idea for promoting outside reading (reading
for pleasure) among the students at Sci High. While many of
our students are willing or avid readers, many read only
reluctantly. The idea was and still is to turn young people
on to reading as a life-long pursuit.
But at the same time this was an opportunity to do something
for the community outside our school. We identified the YEP
as a local organization doing important work with young
people, including literacy work. Our students, simply by
reading, could raise money to support these literacy
efforts. How empowering is that! Everybody wins in this
game, and apparently enough donors in the community agreed –
we reached and even surpassed our fundraising target.
A highlight for us was meeting several students and staff of
the YEP during their visit to our school. That made the
whole endeavor more real to the students; they realized
where the money was going and what their role in this was. I
hope this experience of a successful read-a-thon inspires
them to continue to reach out and connect with the larger
community, and of course to keep reading.
Michael Batterman
Sci High
