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KANSAS CITY, Kan. - Kansas City students were given some added incentive to keep up their reading skills over the summer during an event today with the U.S. Department of Education's Mary Cohen, Kansas City Mayor Carol Marinovich and city firefighters at Fire Station #5 in Kansas City.

Kansas City is one of 11 sites throughout the country participating in the No Child Left Behind Summer Reading Achievers Program, which encourages students in grades K-8 to read actively during the summer months. Atlanta Public Schools piloted the program last year, with nearly 18,000 students participating and reading over 150,000 books.

"Reading is the cornerstone of all learning," U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige said. "Research shows that students often lose some of their reading skills during the summer break, so it's important to encourage children to keep up those skills. Through this summer reading program, we hope that children will be inspired to read for fun and to make reading a regular part of life."

"The impact of the No Child Left Behind Summer Reading Achievers program will be felt far beyond the summer months," Mary Cohen said. "Our summer readers who join us this morning are building skills and forming habits that will be with them for a long time."

This summer, Kansas City firefighters will be hosting a story time on weekdays between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. at Fire Stations #5 and #9. Students also will be able to borrow and exchange books at these two stations on weekdays between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.

"As a former educator for 23 years, I fully understand the importance for students to maintain their reading skills," Kansas City, Kan., Mayor Carol Marinovich said. "This program is an excellent way to encourage students to keep up those skills. This program will also point out to children that reading is not just a school-time activity, but is also a great way to have fun and be entertained. I am proud that USD 500 was one of a select few school districts nationwide to be chosen as a participant for this very special program."

This year's program is at the following sites: Springfield, Mass.; Portsmouth, N.H.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; Camden, N.J.; Atlanta, Ga.; Gainesville, Fla.; Kansas City, Kan.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Albuquerque, N.M.; San Diego, Calif., and the state of South Dakota. The sites were selected based on the presence of supportive community and business groups and active school district leaders who are working to reduce the achievement gap.

To participate in the program, students must read 10 age-appropriate books during the summer months. Students are required to describe briefly the books they have read by completing a simple form. Prizes and certificates will be awarded to successful students and special recognition will be given to schools with the highest percentages of participating students.

Contributing sponsors for the 2004 program include First Book, Target Stores, Scholastic, Inc., USA Football, National PTA, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Communities in Schools, Inc., Verizon, Barnes and Noble, MeadWestvaco, and Time, Inc. National and local partner organizations will provide other incentives and forms of recognition. In Kansas City, Kan., books for the event were donated by a collaboration of the Junior League and the Kansas City Star called "Hooked on Books."

"First Book has a long-standing partnership with the leaders at the U.S. Department of Education, as well as with private-sector leaders like those at the Walt Disney Company," First Book President Kyle Zimmer said. "Through these relationships and others, including Scholastic Inc., Children's Book Group, Random House Children's Books, Harper Collins Children's Books and Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, First Book has the ability to provide new books to children participating in summer reading programs.

One of President Bush's first actions after taking office was to promote children's reading achievement because studies show that when children fail to learn to read early in school, every aspect of school success is affected.

Reading First was passed into law by a bipartisan majority of Congress under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and centers on the following priorities: raising the caliber and quality of classroom instruction; basing instruction on scientifically proven methods; providing professional training for educators in reading instruction; and supplying substantial resources to support the unprecedented initiative. By providing early diagnosis and help for reading difficulties, Reading First-supported programs help improve student motivation and academic achievement.

President Bush's FY 2005 budget includes $1.3 billion in reading funding, including $1.1 billion for Reading First, $132 million for Early Reading First and $100 million for the Striving Readers program to meet NCLB's goal of ensuring that all children can read on grade level by the third grade.

More information about the No Child Left Behind Act is available at www.nochildleftbehind.gov/.

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