Connecticut Education Foundation tackling reading with professional football stars and college and high school football players
The Connecticut Education Foundation and the Bloomfield Education Association are tackling reading with a weeklong celebration of literacy featuring football stars and fun activities to encourage hundreds of middle school students at Carmen Arace School in Bloomfield to pick up a book and read.
The weeklong Read Across Connecticut literacy event kicked off today with a fun, interactive football clinic run by former NFL player and Bloomfield native Matt Lawrence, who played for the Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, and Seattle Seahawks.
Lawrence was joined by professional Canadian football player Dex Lawson and college football player Andrae Smith, also Bloomfield natives, taking students through fun sports and academic activities, including relay races, obstacle courses, spelling bees, word jumbles, and more.
“The goal of Read Across Connecticut is to encourage and motivate children to pick up a book and read, developing habits that will lead to becoming lifelong readers,” said CEF President Joslyn DeLancey. “Using real-life sports celebrities who grew up in Connecticut and whom the students can relate to helps them understand the important role reading plays in the lives of all students, including student athletes.”
More than 600 students in grades five through eight are participating in the weeklong celebration of literacy and will receive a free book of their choice to take home, bookbags filled with fun items and school supplies, and a flyer for parents with tips on engaging children in reading at home.
Read Across Connecticut is part of the yearly Read Across America initiative started by the National Education Association to bring the joy of reading to students of all ages. The event is held around March 2, to celebrate the birthday of beloved children’s author Theodor Geisel, commonly known as Dr. Seuss.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, the percentage of children who read for fun on their own time almost daily is at its lowest point in 40 years.
“Reading plays an integral role in shaping us into who we are,” said Bloomfield fifth-grade teacher Gail Jorden. “With the popularity of smartphones, it’s more important than ever to get books into the hands of our children and help them understand all the places they can go by reading.”
Decades of research confirm the correlations between childhood poverty, lack of access to reading resources, lower reading proficiency, and the struggle to complete high school and prepare for the world beyond.
“Reading is critical to student success, and putting a brand-new book in their hands and highlighting the importance of reading in entertaining new ways encourages them to pick up a book and read for fun,” said DeLancey.
Local athletes at the ready
Throughout the week, local high school football players from Bloomfield, East Hartford, Farmington, Manchester, and Windsor as well as football players from Central Connecticut State University will be huddling together for the reading blitz, sharing the impact reading has had on their careers as athletes and emphasizing the importance of the student in student athletes.
Lawrence, who helped coordinate the participation of the high school student athletes, played college football at UConn and UMass and is the founder of 32 Sports, a nonprofit youth sports organization connecting pro athletes to children through sports. He is also a mental health and community advocate and recently returned from Switzerland, where he spoke at the World Economic Forum.
“Participating in the Read Across Connecticut program in Bloomfield is a privilege,” said Lawrence. “Reading from a young age fueled my NFL aspirations and achievements, and I want to share the message with children that reading shapes success.”
Activities and guest readers are scheduled throughout the week.
Tuesday, February 27, 9:30 – 11:30 am
Former NFL star Matt Lawrence, CCSU football players, and Bloomfield and Farmington High School football players share their love of reading and football with students.
Wednesday, February 28, 8:30 – 10:20 am
Football players from Bloomfield and Farmington High Schools and CCSU players will share their love of reading with students and discuss the impact reading has had on their careers as athletes, emphasizing the importance of the student in student athlete.
Thursday, February 29, 10:25 am – 1:45pm
CCSU and Manchester and Windsor High School football players will read to students and discuss how reading and education helped them with their football careers.
Friday, March 1, 9:10 am – 12:25 pm
East Hartford and Windsor High School football players and CCSU football stars will read to students and discuss the importance of education in a student athlete’s life.
Reading success
At the end of the program, students will select a book to take home from a diverse group of sports stories and characters as well as real-life athletes that students recognize and respect.
Titles include
- Athlete vs. Mathlete, by W.C. Mack
- Rising Above, by Greg Zuckerman
- Last Man Out, Game Changers, and Triple Threat, by Mike Lupica
- Who Is Colin Kaepernick, by Lakita Wilson
- Epic Athlete Patrick Mahomes, Epic Athlete Serena Williams, Epic Athlete Simone Biles, and Epic Athlete Lionel Messi, by Dan Wetzel
“Read Across Connecticut cultivates a love of reading and fosters a foundation for lifelong learning and success among our students,” said Bloomfield Board of Education Chair Lynette Easmon. “I am honored to be part of this initiative to help our students transform words into adventures. Thank you to CEF for hosting these great events.”
“We are excited to partner with the Connecticut Education Foundation for the ‘Tackling Reading’ event in Bloomfield as part of Read Across Connecticut,” said Bloomfield Acting Superintendent Bethany Silver. “This inspiring gathering brings our students together with football players from high school through the NFL to share their passion for reading and the impact this essential skill has on them. This event reinforces our unwavering belief in our students while emphasizing the enduring significance of reading—a skill that unites us as learners and serves us throughout our lifetime.”
CEF, the nonprofit arm of the Connecticut Education Association, has been working together with educators across the state to promote literacy and with our media partner— iHeartMedia—and the National Education Association.
“Reading is such a wonderful way to explore our imagination and to learn and grow,” said Renee DiNino, on-air personality at The River 105.9 and director of community affairs for iHeartMedia in Connecticut. “I love this opportunity and treasure our partnership with CEA and CEF.”
