How 3 am Leads to MISSION READ

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go.”    I Can Read with My Eyes Shut –Dr. Seuss

It is 3am – I am unsure whether to qualify this as the middle of the night or the very early morning.  After tossing and turning in bed for over an hour, I think a “fresh spot” would possibly trick my brain into a false sense of quiet.  I move to my couch, ATTEMPTING to go back to sleep.  Lying in the dark in my living room, I am thinking…thinking…thinking…(I have a tendency to do this A LOT).

Obviously at 3am, I think about reading…obviously (isn’t that was everyone does when they cannot sleep??). I think about how I wish I read MORE, how much I love books, bookstores and authors.  I have an unyielding loyalty for mysteries, (particularly British that happen to take place in Egypt; as a side note—you must read Elizabeth Peters) and, because of my children, Kid Lit.  It is because of my lifelong passion for the written word, that I believe any form or fashion of reading is critical for the continued advancement of our society.  (I need to pause here and thank my mother for all of this!)

And now it is almost 4 am…and Mission Read is born.

The sun is now up, my children are at school and I am feverishly contacting my partners and the wonderful ladies of Bonbon Break to ask if they want to further develop this concept. Simplistically, the connotation of Mission Read is just that; it is a campaign developed to spread the love of reading.

Descriptively, Mission Read is an organic, grassroots literacy campaign designed to stress the importance of reading for all levels of readers, regardless of their age, gender or socioeconomic status.

Using this as the benchmark, jointly Page’s Corner and Bonbon Break will highlight topics and issues that relate to literacy. Each month we will feature a series of articles that stress the ‘need to read!’  The campaign will also feature writers, business owners and advocates for education and children’s issues.

Beyond the articles and discussions using social media, Mission Read will also be the hub for outreach, education and community involvement.  Participants will be able to showcase their efforts in spreading the love of books and reading in their locales and beyond!

I am fortunate that, through Page’s Corner, I have a platform to speak openly about topics that relate to the importance of literacy, particularly for children.  I want to share this platform.  I also believe that this gives everyone the opportunity to contribute – in a myriad of ways.

This participatory aspect is part of the driving force behind Mission Read.  Each and every person’s contributions count; whether it is the home cook with his or her favorite recipes on an iPad, a grandmother reading a bedtime story, a teacher developing a book club or a community’s sponsored book drive.  As long as you are reading—in any capacity — then you are an active participant in Mission Read.

Finally, we welcome your feedback, thoughts and suggestions for ways to spread the “word!”  On behalf of all the contributors, Bonbon Break and Page’s Corner, I invite you to join Mission Read; motivate and inspire your children, friends and family to pick up any text and read!

The advantages of reading and becoming a life-long learner and a lover of words cannot be underscored.    Thank you for reading this piece…you are now officially part of Team #MissRead!

JOIN US THIS THURSDAY AT 7PM PST / 10 PM EST ON TWITTER at #MissRead FOR OUR WEEKLY TWEET CHAT.

Look for @MissionRead and @BonbonBreak.

ABOUT BETH: Beth Panageotou is the CEO and co-founder of Page’s Corner, Inc.

Beth has a BA from Mount Saint Mary’s University and has a background in public policy and education.  After working in Washington, DC, she taught high school social studies and developed her passion to incorporate multiple learning philosophies, learning styles and student-centered activities within the confines of both the traditional and extracurricular classroom setting.  This carried over to her personal life as Beth left teaching to care for her two wonderful daughters (ages 4 & 7).   Beth strongly believes in the need to stress literacy and creativity in the early stages of child development, as is reflected in the mission of Page’s Corner and the creation of the Mission Read campaign.

Follow Beth on Facebook | Twitter @epan11 @PagesCorner | Blog | Web | Pinterest

 BETH’S BOOKSHELF

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