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Reach for The Stars
Tired of the same old fundraisers year after year? Run out of ideas for something different to raise funds? Want to give the kids something that they will really like for prizes? Consider Usborne Books "Reach for the Stars" for your next fundraiser!
"Reach for the Stars" is a pledge-based reading incentive program that puts quality books in to the hands of children while rewarding them for reading, as well as benefiting the organization in the form of cash and/or books.
The "Reach for the Stars" program returns 100% of all pledges to the organization and children in a combination of award-winning Usborne books and cash.
Any organized group of children is eligilbe to participate. This would include, but not be limited to schools, classrooms, clubs, Girl and Boy Scout Troops, sports teams, preschools, church or religious groups, and home school groups, even extended families have taken the "Reach for the Stars" Challenge What is the goal of the program?
The goal of Reach for the Stars is for the participants to read, or be read to for 300 minutes over a two week period of time. This is an average of 30 minutes per weekday as recommended by educational experts.
Who can participate?
This program is designed to benefit any organizational group, such as schools, individual classrooms, clubs, preschools, church groups, home school groups, charities, businesses, and public libraries.
Raising Pledges
Parents and children request pledges from mentoring friends and family members to encourage kids to read. Your child does NOT go door-to-door collecting pledges. Ask your organization if corporate sponsorships are available.
How do the kids benefit?
Students, even pre-emergent or emergent readers, experience the satisfaction of reading or being read to. They develop a reading routine and get excited about book ownership. Each child will receive a certificate of participation and a bookmark when they turn in their journals. Together we can help children discover the joy of reading and give them the opportunity to choose their very own Usborne books to keep!
How can your organization benefit?
Reach for the Stars has a flexible option to meet all your needs from books for the library, classroom, community projects, or perhaps cash for a specific purpose. 100% of the pledges are returned to the participants and organization in a combination of all books to some books and some cash.
How Do Students Participate in RFTS?
Your representative helps get the students excited about the program during a school assembly or classroom presentation. Students see the wonderful books they will be able to select with half of their pledge dollars, then… 1) About two weeks before the reading program begins, each student takes home a parent letter and a pamphlet containing a reading journal, a pledge sheet, a book wish list, and an order form. The student and parent will begin recording pledges by the minute, hour, or flat rate on the pledge sheet. 2) Once the program begins, each student logs reading time in their reading journal. Each student is given a goal of 30 minutes per day for 10 school days, for a total of 300 minutes. This is very achievable! Students can include the minutes spent reading favorite books and magazines, being read to by mom or dad, and even reading for homework assignments. 3) At the end of the two week time period, students turn in their reading journals, book orders (they may spend 50% of the pledge money they collect on books for themselves!), and pledge money. What Does Our Organization Need to Do?
You will need a volunteer (could be an administrator, teacher, or parent) to be a primary contact for your representative, collect reading journals and pledges, and provide your representative with participation information throughout the program. Your representative will provide master copies of parent information packets including parent letters, pledge cards, reading journals, catalog information, etc. Your representative will also compile the book order, organize books when they arrive, and deliver them to your organization ready to distribute to individual students and teachers. Why Is The RFTS Program So Important?
Consider the following:
“If every child were read to daily from infancy, it would revolutionize education in this country.” ~Former US Education Secretary Richard W. Riley
Some experts believe that the biggest obstacle to literacy is the scarcity of books and appropriate reading material in the home.
The 1998 Reading Report Card found that students with higher reading scores were more likely to report four types of reading materials in their homes – encyclopedias, magazine, newspapers, and at least 25 books. ~The National Assessment of Educational Progress
There's no better way to increase vocabulary, improve spelling and writing, and cultivate public speaking skills than by reading aloud to a child! ~ Jim Trelease, The Read-Aloud Handbook
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