Marion County Sponsors Literacy Awards

(Salem, Oregon) - The Marion County Children and Families Commission is seeking nominations for the 2011 “Reading for All” Literacy Awards. Nominations will be accepted for three categories: youth, adult, and business/organization. Nominations may be submitted by mail, fax, or online at www.reading4all.com. All nominations are due June 10, 2011.

Examples of nominations could include:

• Youth: Youth who have made personal gains in reading, have a strong commitment to reading books or have helped others to read;
• Adults: Outstanding teachers, parents, coaches, librarians, etc. who have gone the extra mile to promote a literacy project or program in the community;
• Businesses or organizations that have promoted literacy, allowed their employees to volunteer as readers or tutors, or have engaged in other notable literacy efforts.

Marion County “Reading for All” leaders want to recognize youth, adults, organizations and businesses that are making efforts to improve literacy in Marion County. All nominees will be recognized Sunday, July 10, 2011, at the Marion County Fair. Finalists and winners will be announced at a Volcanoes Baseball game in late August. “We are proud that our county is making progress in reading and student success,” said Marion County Commissioner Sam Brentano, who is a member of the Marion County Children and Families Commission and chairs “Reading for All” in Marion County. “We want to highlight great readers, adults who help out, and organizations that support literacy,” he added.

“Reading for All” is a community literacy initiative of Marion, Polk and Yamhill Counties in partnership with The Oregon Community Foundation. “Reading for All” projects include the Holiday Book Drive which has generated over 60,000 donated books in 2009 and 2010, the “Heart of Literacy” conference that has attracted over 750 participants in 2010 and 2011, and several community-based projects throughout the three counties. The project is designed to help young children be ready for kindergarten and succeed in school, and objectives include raising awareness of the importance of reading, encouraging parents to read to their children, and providing books for families who need them. The Marion County Children and Families Commission promotes student success so that students will be more likely to stay in school, graduate, and be prepared for college, work and life.

The Marion County Children and Families Commission is located at 451 Division Street NE, Salem, OR 97301.

Nomination form PDF

Source: Marion County Children and Families Department