Rockford Reads

 

Kathy Kwiat-Hess, Rockford Rotary liaison for Rockford Reads, reads “Where Are You From?” to students on Oct. 8 at Constance Lane Elementary School in Rockford.

 

Students listen to Kathy Kwiat-Hess, Rockford Rotary liaison.

 

 

 

     Students, teachers and volunteers gathered in the library of Constance Lane Elementary School to participate in the kickoff of the 24th year of Rockford Reads, a volunteer reading program initiated by the Rockford Rotary Club "Rockford Reads" program launched in 2001, when the Rockford Rotary Club partnered with the Rockford Public Library and Rockford Public Schools to create a volunteer reading program that matched adults with second and third grade students.

     “We really emphasize that with the students we work with,” Kathy Kwiat-Hess, Rockford Rotary liaison for Rockford Reads, said. “We encourage them to go home and maybe read to their parents, read with their parents, read with their siblings.”

     According to Kwiat-Hess, the volunteer group works with teachers, librarians, and students to select books that pique students’ interests or resonate with them. Some of the books include “Where Are You From?” by Yamile Saied Méndez, a picture book that explores different children’s ancestry and culture.

     “Reading is huge. It’s a part of our daily lives as adults,” Kwiat-Hess said. “We all know that it’s how we succeed, one of the most important components to success in life.”

     For more info about the program and volunteering, please visit rockfordrotary.org.