Miami families of VPK students and K – 5th grade public and charter school students are invited to attend the “Splash Into New Worlds” Book Bash to receive free books and reading activities, as well as participate in a read aloud and book signing with Malcolm Mitchell, Super Bowl champion and author of “My Very Favorite Book in the Whole Wide World.” Hosted at the Phillip & Patricia Frost Museum of Science, families will be able to explore the Aquarium at the museum for free!
Created to help the more than 861,000 eligible VPK – 5th grade students in Florida not yet meeting age-appropriate standards or not yet reading on grade level, New Worlds Reading delivers nine FREE books and reading activities each school year directly to the doorsteps of eligible VPK through 5th grade students. Administered by the UF Lastinger Center for Learning, the New Worlds Reading Initiative has shipped more than 3.9 million books to the homes of Florida children to date—in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, and braille.
“Since 2021, children and families have been at the center of our focus. We’ve enrolled more than 269,000 students across Florida school districts —and counting!” said Dr. Shaunté Duggins, Associate Director of New Worlds Reading. “We’re honored to partner with Florida families to help ignite their children’s reading journey, building foundational literacy skills today that will help set them up for reading success tomorrow.”
To increase awareness and support for the program, this year the team is also launching the New Worlds Reading Regional Partners Program, partnering with organizations to host literacy workshops, community literacy events, teacher professional development sessions and more. Partners local to the Southeast Florida region include Children’s Literacy Initiative, Hands Together for Haitians, Inc, Principle Life Family Resource Center, Inc, The Lucy Project, and Uplift Literacy.
Families with a VPK student who is not yet meeting age-appropriate standards according to FAST Star Early Literacy or K-5th grader not yet reading on grade level in a public or charter school, are eligible to apply today.
The New Worlds Reading team will host the “Splash Into New Worlds” Book Bash at the Phillip & Patricia Frost Museum of Science from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. ET on Nov 4, 2023, in Miami. Families are encouraged to RSVP for free.
About the UF Lastinger Center for Learning:
Housed within the University of Florida College of Education, the Lastinger Center for Learning is an education innovation hub that develops solutions designed to improve outcomes across three education milestones: kindergarten readiness, reading proficiency by third grade, and algebra proficiency by ninth grade. The Lastinger Center’s innovations serve children and educators in every community in Florida and have expanded both nationally and globally. The remarkable scope of the Lastinger Center’s work and the impact of its collective efforts have drawn state, national, and international recognition and investment. Learn more at lastinger.center.ufl.edu.