This week, the Florida Department of Education hosted the 2020 Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida! BOOK Your Trip: Adventure Awaits! Kickoff event. The goal of the annual week-long celebration is promoting literacy and encouraging Florida students to establish excellent reading habits. Throughout Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida!, the Florida Department of Education is also highlighting Florida’s Reading Scholarship Account initiative.
“As we highlight Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida!, it is also an important time to ensure that Florida’s families are aware of the Reading Scholarships that are available for their children,” said First Lady Casey DeSantis. “Strong literacy skills are essential for success, and the Reading Scholarship Accounts provide students with access to the resources and support that will empower them to achieve that success.”
“Becoming the most literate state in the nation begins with our youngest readers,” said Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran. “Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida! is an opportunity to celebrate a love of reading with our students and their families, and I am looking forward to highlighting literacy all week long.”
Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida!, now in its twelfth year, is designed to raise awareness about the importance of reading and to inspire Florida’s students and families to make reading part of their daily routines. The week-long celebration is sponsored by PNC Bank, the Florida Education Foundation and the Florida Department of Education.
The Reading Scholarship Accounts were created in 2018 to help public school students in third through fifth grade who struggle with reading. Each Reading Scholarship Account is valued at $500.00 and can be used for reimbursement of tuition and fees related to part-time tutoring, summer or after-school programs designed to improve literacy skills. Eligible students must be enrolled in a Florida public school in grades 3 through 5 and scored below a level three on the 2018 English Language Arts Florida Standards Assessment.
To apply online, or for more information about Florida’s Reading Scholarship Accounts, please visit stepupforstudents.org/reading, and for more information about Florida’s statewide reading initiative and the importance of literacy, please visit Just Read, Florida!
For more information about the Florida Department of Education, visit fldoe.org.
