The second RIF distribution for this school year will take place on Wednesday, March 1st in the media center. Students will be given a voucher in their advisory classes which can be exchanged for a book of their choice.

RIF distributions at Park Center are coordinated by Lindy Edwards, with the help and support of the media staff and the Senior Class Cabinet, RIF, which stands for Reading Is Fundamental, is the nations oldest and largest literacy organization serving children and their parents through literacy programs that help prepare young children for reading and motivate school-age students to read regularly. Through a national, grassroots network of community volunteers at 21,000 program sites, RIF provides 5 million children with 17 million new, free books and literacy resources each year.

“We’re very excited about RIF this year,” Ms. Edwards said. “There are many titles to choose from – including the latest Oprah book, Night by Elie Wiesel. In this memoir a teenager is wracked with guilt at having survived the horror of the Holocaust and the genocidal campaign that consumed his family.”

Despite competition from other media, reading remains the key to knowledge and success in our society. Studies show children that read often, become good readers. The latest National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) research from the US Federal Government, as well as studies completed by other researchers, also links the amount that young people read to academic achievement. "Amount counts!", they say. "Free, voluntary reading - lots of it - is the best predictor of seven achievement basics -- general knowledge, comprehension, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, verbal fluency, and good writing style."

Teachers at Park Center would like to see students read more outside of the classroom. RIF provides a great opportunity for them to encourage students to read more by taking advantage of the "free" offer. This program, which is generously funded and supported by the District Foundation, will put more than 4,000 books in the hands of Park Center students during the year, and hopefully, will help provide them with the means to set more information into their minds through the enjoyment of reading.

Click Here for a list of all the "free" books