ENTERING AS INDIVIDUALS,
WORDS: Beth Duda, Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
As the clock approached 4:00pm the room started to ll.
74 individuals entered. School district administrators,
representatives from Boys & Girls Clubs, community
centers, public housing complexes, parks & recreation programs,
public libraries, summer educators, businessmen and women,
and non-prot leaders came together to learn more about the
Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading’s 201 Suncoast
Summer Reading Challenge.
At first, the room was relatively quiet. A few people knew
each other and exchanged pleasantries while others helped
themselves to the delicious snacks provided by the generosity
of The Patterson Foundation. People took their seats and were
mostly silent as they waited for the program to begin.
Everyone was asked to think of a time when they were inspired
to action as a result of reading something in a book. I shared
about a strong desire I had to visit the Grand Canyon prompted
by two books that I had read in elementary school - Henry Reed,
Inc. and Henry Reed’s Journey. Then I asked everyone to share
their answers with their neighbors. The atmosphere in the room
immediately changed.
Within just a few seconds, there was a steady buzz of
conversation. Bursts of laughter, a great deal of head nodding,
and an increase in volume quickly followed. The conversations
became so robust that it took several attempts before the room
settled down. We had just experienced a real-life example of
the power of books, and the power of connection. The simple
act of sharing this personal information began to give us a
group identity.