December 5, 2003
DETROIT – Michigan First Gentleman Daniel Granholm Mulhern today presented
Hutchinson Elementary School in Detroit with 500 books donated to the state
by Scholastic, the global children’s publishing and media company. The
books were donated as part of the “Scholastic Read for 2004” Global
Read-A-Thon.
“Reading is an important tool for children of all ages,” Mulhern
said. “It is imperative that every child realizes the benefits and rewards
that come from reading.”
Today marked the fifth annual Scholastic Read reading initiative
that was created to encourage children, parents, and teachers to set aside time
to pick up a book and read.
Mulhern is one of forty governors’ spouses volunteering
to serve as Ambassadors of Reading for their state. As an ambassador, Mulhern
read to a classroom of children at Hutchinson Elementary and also talked to
them about the importance of reading.
Hutchinson Elementary was chosen because Mulhern felt that improving
the school’s library would help improve test scores and student academic
achievement. The school has a very small library, and it is a school that did
not make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under the new federal guidelines for
education under the No Child Left Behind Act.
“Reading is an essential life skill that greatly impacts a child’s
success in later life,” Mulhern said. “The Governor and I are committed
to making sure every child has a great start in life by encouraging literacy
efforts from pre-school through high school.”
Last year, more than five million children and 27,000 teachers in over 60 countries
joined together to celebrate the global read-a-thon.
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