America Reads*America Counts

AR*AC HISTORY The America Reads Challenge started as a national initiative whose goal was to ensure that every child in the United States read well and independently by the end of third grade. In December 1996, former University of Maryland President Kirwan was asked by the White House to join the America Reads College Presidents Steering Committee. Dr. Kirwan agreed, and in so doing, committed that the campus would use half of its substantial increase in Federal Work-Study funding for tutoring and related community service positions. He also pledged to direct additional campus resources to literacy activities. The University of Maryland became one of the first twenty universities to participate in America Reads. Currently, over 1,400 universities nationwide have America Reads programs. In March 1997, Dr. Kirwan established the Presidents Task Force for America Reads. During the summer of 1997, the Task Force identified and invited eight elementary schools in Prince Georges County ...