On October 19, over 10,000 corporate and community volunteers, educators and youth came together and read

to children in over 26 countries, 17 time zones at more than 500 venues. All together, we pledged to read to more than 255,000 children.

With your support so many children globally were inspired by the power of reading. We raised awareness for the critical issue of illiteracy from Houston to Haiti, Gambia to Romania, and from Australia to South Korea, Hong Kong to India and Panama.

As a part of the Conference on Volunteering and Service in Houston, volunteers participated in Read Across the Globe, which included a 24-hour bid to break the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the most children read to by an adult in 24 hours across multiple venues.

According to GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS official rules, all volunteers globally had to read from the same book, and the official book selected was Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and Eric-Shabazz Larkin. The book is an inspiring story of a former basketball star turned urban farmer. He is an innovator, educator, and community builder with optimism and determination to bring good food to every table in his community. With the growing number of families with food insecurity, this topic was valuable to kids and teachers alike.

Conference volunteers hold copies of Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table, the official book of Read Across the Globe.

Thank You!Thank you to our wonderful partners, volunteers

and sponsors of Read Across the Globe!

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Jaqueline Briggs Martin, Author Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table, said “The Read Across the Globe volunteer project

at the YMCA of Southern Maine introduced me to a dedicated teacher and a wonderful school with a schoolyard garden. The kids grow their own healthy snacks during the summer and the teacher sends home recipes and all the food parents need to make the recipe with their kids. Some parents like the recipes so much that they make them again and again,” said Briggs.

And from Maine to New York...

“This was an amazing volunteer reading event in Brooklyn with a common thread — all loved having a great story about a great man come to life before their eyes,” said Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table Illustrator, Eric-Shabazz Larkin. “Before I read the book, no one cared about farming and after, I had every one of these city kids wanting to start their own farm. That’s the power of reading.”

In Houston, the event brought local and Points of Light Conference volunteers to elementary schools throughout the city. Neil Bush,

Chairman of Points of Light, and Former First Lady Barbara Bush joined volunteers at Edgar Allen Poe Elementary School, each reading to a classroom full of students and speaking out on the critical importance of literacy.

Former First Lady Barbara Bush reads to children at Edgar Allen Poe Elementary School in Houston as part of the Read Across the Globe service project.

“Thousands of students enjoyed an exciting, authentic literacy experience in their classrooms last week during Read Across the Globe,” said Linda H. Buchman, Community Relations Officer, Spring Branch Independent School District. “Our students and volunteers loved it too! Many volunteer readers described being ‘hooked’ on school-based volunteering and are asking how they come back for more.”

“The Read Across the Globe volunteer experience was truly wonderful,” said Philip Lee, Co-founder and Publisher, Readers to Eaters. “While in Houston volunteering, Amy Silverman, the librarian at Edgar Allen Poe Elementary, said she was so inspired by the [Farmer Will Allen Growing Table] book that she plans to create her own ‘growing table’ garden at the elementary school.”

From left: Guinness Adjudicator Michael Empric, Edgar Allen Poe Elementary Librarian Amy Silverman and Philip Lee of Readers to Eaters.

GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS adjudicator Michael Empric was at the Edgar Allen Poe Elementary school during one of the 30-minute reading sessions. Of all the record bids he has overseen, Empric said this one is particularly special stating, “What’s really exciting about this record attempt is that it has the chance to change lives.”

READ ACROSS THE GLOBE

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Read Across the Globe and Points of Light convened many domestic and international partners, from small non-profits and

local schools to corporations with community-minded values, to raise awareness for the need for early language exposure. We owe a very special thanks to the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation, Volunteer Houston and Deloitte, as well as the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, Jumpstart’s Read for the Record, Readers to Eaters and Live Oak Media for their support and voice to help more children join the path to literacy.

Anne Taylor, Deloitte, with Edgar Allen Poe 3rd graders.

Anne Taylor, Vice Chairman and Houston Managing Partner with Deloitte said, “I am proud of Deloitte’s work with Read Across the Globe, both in supporting the logistics effort in Houston as well as providing more than 100 employee volunteers. But, it was the experience of reading to Ms. Davis’ 3rd grade class that reminded me why I need to get personally involved in education initiatives. This program was a success, simply because it connected more volunteers to more kids who need to know that reading makes a difference.”

Points of Light also partnered with various Hands On Network Affiliates, including Glasswing International, who participated in 10 countries and 29 schools in Latin America, benefiting more than 3,600 children. Hands On Greater Phoenix, Hands On Hong Kong and the Volunteer Center of Southern New Jersey as well as Red Cross Armed Services in Europe and the Far East also participated among many other partners. Our Read Across the Globe partners convened to help shine a light on literacy. Thank you for your incredible commitment to the cause of literacy in your communities.

“Everyone was excited to be a part of something so grand,” said Nya, VISTA volunteer, New York Cares. “It isn’t often that we are called upon to attempt a Guinness World Record, let alone for something that can make a difference in so many children’s lives. New York Cares was happy to be a part of the Read Across the Globe project as we aim to meet pressing community needs, including literacy. As an organization, we have several ongoing projects that cater to reading to our youth, but this was an exceptionally fun way to get the community involved.”

Houston Astros catcher Jason Castro reads to help break the record.

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Children in Nicaragua listen to Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table.

“At the Read Across the Globe event in Haiti, we watched with great pride as our volunteers read to children in

English, and our local Haitian staff translated the story to them in their native tongue,” said Jonathan LaMare, Country Director at Be Like Brit Orphanage in Grand Goave, Haiti. “To see the desire for knowledge transcend the language and cultural barriers at play with the children was incredible.”

Actor, Literacy Advocate, generationOn Youth Ambassador, and Read Across the Globe volunteer, Gabe Eggerling said, “Age is not a factor in a world full of possibilities to help others.”

“I am honored to join so many passionate volunteers all across the globe during the Read Across the Globe effort to shine a light on literacy,” said First Lady of Texas, Cecelia Abbott.

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Hands on Greater Phoenix with University of Phoenix volunteers preparing to read.

Glasswing Honduras, Vice Minister of Education, reading to students at the República de Honduras de Tegucigalpa School.

School children in Nicaragua being read to by a Glasswing International volunteer.

A Hands On Hong Kong volunteer reads to children in a trampoline house.

Glasswing International volunteers in Panama

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We all know that uniting in service can create lasting change. We thank you for joining us in this endeavor to shine

a light on literacy and for your leadership sharing knowledge to close the gap.

From birth to three years of age, caregivers can prepare babies to be strong readers by singing, talking and reading to them every day. Continue to spread the word to help children get on the right path to literacy by sharing knowledge about early language exposure. Click here to share this knowledge!

Please visit the Read Across the Globe website and share your event pictures, videos and stories from Oct. 19. Keep the program going by spreading the word about literacy solutions. We have activities for both adults and children to get everyone involved in closing the literacy gap.

Reading the digital book in Romania (access to Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table was provided by Live Oak Media).

At an American Red Cross base in South Korea: U.S. Marines signing up to read for the record on Oct. 19.

Open a Book. Spread the Word. Make an Impact.

READ ACROSS THE GLOBE

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