Fundacion Leer Reading Marathon 2008

I have written about Fundacion Leer before. Last year they ran their Reading Marathon 2007 and now they have started their subscriptions for 2008. Things are looking great for them in Argentina, while things are not so great for Reading is Fundamental in the United States. Click -here- to find out what is happening to them.

The event will take place on the 3rd of October. What exactly is this event? This is a nation wide effort that culminates on the 3rd of October in reading groups throughout the country. The idea is to dedicate a few hours of the day to reading. The groups are made up of children, teachers, parents and volunteers. Whole comunities come together to read to children, listen to stories and poems, and to help foster a love for books and reading in children.

Last year, Fundacion Leer reached 2.3 million kids and 159,447 adults in Argentina. This year they want to reach even more.

I have been involved with Fundacion Leer since I arrived in 1999. At first I donated my time and now my company supports them financially through donations. This I have done because I have been moved by what I have seen.

Now I invite you to see for yourselves a little about what Fundacion Leer does. I have never been able to actually witness these events and not be moved.

The first video takes place in the province of Misiones




The second video was put together by EMpower, another company that supports Fundación Leer. When the end credits roll you can stop viewing even though the counter will indicate that there is more, it just starts over.




Fundacion Leer´s blog Post on this year´s event
Fundacion Leer´s award winning web-site

I hope you you feel strongly enough to want to do something, as I did when I watched these kids receive their very first books for the first time. Please get involved. Making kids hungry for reading will only help empower them. Education is only a cost if it is not given out, it is an investment towards the future.

Fundacion Leer Reading Marathon 2007

A while back, I wrote about Fundacion Leer (Reading is Fundamental Argentina) and their reading marathon, which took place on the 5th of October. I promised that I would write the results of this year´s events and so as promised here are the results:

• 2,401,099 children participated in the marathon
• 162,158 adults from over 8,000 institutions volunteered and helped those kids develop a love for books and reading on that day.

Mind you, these are kids that live in homes where the only book the family does own, most likely, is that same book those children chose to be their very own that day.

"Wow" does not even begin describe what I think, but it is the only thing I can think of saying when I think about it.

Reading is Fundamental Argentina

One of the non-profits that I am involved in is the local license of Reading is Fundamental. Their main goal in life is to promote literacy and they target children specifically. They have made a huge impact here in Argentina and I can´t say enough wonderful things about them. They go to the most needy communities and they get everyone involved behind their efforts to flourish a love for books and reading in the hearts of the children. Once you see this in action you can not help but be touched.

Please take a moment to read the following and if you can find it within your hearts to help out a little it will go a very long way. I also promise to post the results here of the latest reading marathon. So if you are here in Argentina or even in the United States you can contribute. Also, if you have a blog and you decide to contribute please let me know. I am not part of RIF Argentina, which locally they are known as Fundación Leer. I am just a contributor donating proceeds from my sales and, whenever I can, my time as well.

ANNUAL “NATIONAL READING MARATHON” CAMPAIGN

Reading brings us together again on October 5th.
Together we can improve prospects and opportunities for children’s education in Argentina.
Your support can make a difference.

In 1997 Fundación Leer signed a license agreement with “Reading Is Fundamental, Inc” in the United States. Through this partnership, we are able to operate RIF programs in our country.

What is the 5th National Reading Marathon?

For the fifth year running Fundación Leer invites children and youngsters, with their families and the rest of the community to enjoy the magic and joy of reading for a day.

October 5th is the date set for thousands of children in schools, community centers, clubs, libraries, soup-kitchens, hospitals and health centers, to share multiple activities based on reading: narrations, theatre productions, workshops, reading in parks, amongst others.

Through this free and non-competitive initiative, we propose to create an awareness in the community as to the importance of awakening children´s interest in reading, and to afford all children equal and enriching opportunities for literacy.

Using “Enjoy Reading, share a book with a friend” as our motto for this year´s Marathon, we propose to highlight reading´s potential for developing relationships and communicating.

What is a Reading Corner?

Reading Corners are informal, happy areas, furnished with books, where children and youngsters are able to select their favorites, touch, leaf through and read them at will. They are created as literacy-promoting environments by the school community, aided by volunteers, and following experts’ guidelines. The Reading Corners offer the chance of bringing community members together, inviting them to be a part of the proposed literacy-promoting activities. The Reading Corners are created specifically as spaces for children and youngsters to read, based on the fact that reading is a key element in their personal development.

Why contribute?

The participating schools will take part in a draw for 200 new books to set up Reading Corners.

The winning establishments will receive new books and attend a training session run by Fundación Leer team for guidelines as to the creation of Reading Corners and ideas as to possible activities to carry out in the pursuit of motivating reading.

In this way, Fundación Leer proposes to motivate reading and promote literacy of children and youngsters nationwide, generating a long-term positive impact on their personal development, and easing their full insertion in society.

Your donation contributes to increasing the number of Reading Corners to be raffled at the close of the 5th edition of the National Reading Marathon.

How to contribute

In order of being able to receive donations from other parts of the world, Fundación Leer signed an alliance with Help Argentina. If you would like to contribute please enter the following link: http://www.helpargentina.org/spanish/ongs_success.php?id=71 and click “donate”.

What is your contribution worth?

US$ 12 equals 2 new books for a Reading Corner.

US$ 100 equals 18 new books for a Reading Corner.

US$ 500 equals 90 new books, making up a full Reading Corner.

US$ 1100 equals 200 new books, making up a full Reading Corner.

You may assign your contribution to a specific locality.

Should you carry out the donation of a full Reading Corner (200 new books), you will be able to specify which locality or area within Argentina it should be assigned to in the draw. In this way, the establishments in that locality not only participate in the general draw, but also increase their chances of winning a Reading Corner in this “exclusive” draw for their area.

To find out more about this possibility, please contact us at amigos@leer.org.ar

Some results from the 4th National Reading Marathon 2006 .

Participants:
1.719.284 children
5.511 establishments
120.684 adults (teachers, parents, community leaders, paediatricians, nurses, librarians)
23 provinces and the City of Buenos Aires
20 Declarations of Interest: from the National Ministry for Science and Technology, and from
15 Provinces and the City of Buenos Aires