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. Ask your organization if corporate sponsorships are available.How do the kids benefit?
They develop a reading routine and receive Usborne books and other prizes for participating. 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.Success Stories with Reach for the Stars:
Little Mountain Elementary, November 2007
Students at this small, rural school read over 55,000 minutes and collected almost $3,500 in pledges! The students received vouchers for $1750 and they used them at the three day book fair. As a result of the Reach for the Stars and the book fair, the school received almost $2900 in library bound Usborne Books!
Newberry Academy, November 2007
170 students at this school read over 45,000 minutes and collected $4215 in pledges. Students received $2107 in books of their choice at a one day book fair. The school ended up receiving almost $2500 in Usborne books!
Newberry Academy, October 2008
160 students read over 47,000 minutes and collected just over $3500 in pledges. Students received $1750 in books of their choice and the school received $700 in cash and $1050 in free books!
West Wateree Christian Academy
60 students read over 20,000 minutes and raised $1050! Students received $525 in books of their choice and the school received $525 in library bound Usborne Books!
New Books Given to Connie Maxwell Children's Home, July 2007
A small group of Saluda and Newberry County children raised money for new books for the children at Connie Maxwell Children's Home. The program, Reach for the Stars, is a reading-based incentive program through Usborne Books in which participants read 300 minutes in three weeks and get friends and family to sponsor them. Half the money pledged bought books for the participants and half bought books for the organization. The children did an amazing job and were able to donate $400 in new books!
