CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS – United Way of the Coastal Bend volunteers visited 18 local preschools and elementary schools, including two across the Harbor Bridge for the first time, to read to more than 1,600 children on Read Across America Day.
Read Across America was launched in 1998 by the National Education Association (NEA) and is the nation’s largest celebration of reading. The program inspires youth to read through events, partnerships, and reading resources.
WHY THIS MATTERS: This event aimed to promote early literacy and a love for reading.
"Bringing in volunteer readers into the classroom for a fun event like Read Across America can have a long lasting positive impact for academic success," said Sherry Peterson, Success By 6 Director at United Way of the Coastal Bend.
Local volunteers wore a variety of colorful, fun hats and read stories at elementary schools and child development centers.
The 18 schools and development centers that participated in this year’s event were:
- Club Estates Elementary
- Del Mar College Center for Early Learning
- Elgin Neighborhood Centers of Corpus Christi
- Flour Bluff Early Childhood Center
- Gollihar Neighborhood Center
- John F. Kennedy Elementary School
- Marguerite Neighborhood Center
- Methodist Day School, Portland
- Molina Neighborhood Center
- Menger Elementary School
- Oak Park Elementary School
- Petty Elementary School, Taft
- Rose Shaw Elementary School
- Sam Houston Elementary School
- T.G. Allen Elementary School
- Travis Elementary School
- Gibson Elementary School
- Zavala Elementary School
United Way of the Coastal Bend would like to thank its volunteers for making this year’s event a success. They include employees from: Bay Ltd., Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Texas, Chemours, City of Corpus Christi, First Community Bank, Frost Bank, Gulf Coast Growth Ventures, Hilliard Law, Holt CAT, Kleberg Bank, Rally Credit Union, Richard, Turner Industries, Valero Enegry, and Women United of the Coastal Bend.