COLUMBUS, Ohio - Major League Soccer (MLS), the National Education Association (NEA), America SCORES and the Columbus Crew are teaming up to show kids just how much fun reading can be with the Get a Kick Out of Reading/!Lee y Marca un Golazo! literacy initiative. The bilingual program uses the sport of soccer to deliver positive messages about the value and fun of reading, targeting kids and teenagers.
The Crew Reading Challenge is providing 5,000 English as a Second Language (ESL) students from area school districts with a soccer-themed folder, poster and bookmark, while inviting them to earn the Readers' Shield Certificate of Accomplishment over a flexible, four-week period.
In addition to the certificate, students who meet the Challenge by reading (or being read to) for 90 minutes a week - the length of a soccer game - for four weeks will receive two tickets to a Crew soccer game, courtesy of the Crew and the Crew Soccer Foundation's Kicks for Kids program.
"We are delighted to reintroduce the MLS/NEA Get a Kick Out of Reading program to central Ohio families," said Mark McCullers, Crew general manager and Crew Soccer Foundation president. "The program offers a fantastic opportunity to rediscover the joys of reading for pleasure and we look forward to seeing a great many participants at our upcoming games."
Families nationwide are invited to enjoy the free resources at www.getakickoutofreading.org or www.leeymarcaungolazo.org, which include fun facts and favorite books of MLS player-spokesmen and a soccer-themed reading list for readers of all ages.
Shared activities are good for the entire family, whether they involve a soccer ball or a good book. The Crew, MLS and its partners are pleased to bring soccer, books and families together to help kids reach for the goal of reading success.
NEA has a long, proud history as the nation's leading organization committed to advancing the cause of public education. With its headquarters in Washington, D.C., NEA has 2.7 million members who work at every level of education, from pre-school to university graduate programs. NEA has affiliates in every state, as well as in more than 13,000 local communities across the United States.
America SCORES is a nationally recognized after-school program in 12 urban communities (not including Columbus), which offers 8 to 12-year-olds the opportunity to play soccer while learning how to express themselves through creative writing and community service.
Headquartered in New York City, Major League Soccer is the 13-team, top-flight professional soccer league in the United States and features many stars from the U.S. and around the world. The league's 13th season kicks off in April 2007.
For more information, please contact Robin Ungerleider, Columbus Crew Community Relations Manager and Development & Program Specialist for the Crew Soccer Foundation, at 614-447-4175 or rungerleider@thecrew.com.
