We love to hear about kids reading and celebrating education, so when we heard about the great things our colleagues in the Scholastic Classroom and Community Group (SCCG) had done with the Florida Department of Education we had to share it!

“Take the Lead and Read” was the theme of Celebrate Literacy Week 2012 in Florida this year—and boy did these Florida students read! Through the help of Scholastic team, the Florida Department of Education Just Read, Florida Office, the Governor’s Office and First Lady Ann Scott, the Florida Lottery, Daytona International Speedway and other education organizations students across the state were motivated to read by taking the “million minute marathon” challenge—a state-wide FL DOE challenge to set a new record for reading in one day. The students were so revved up that they logged over 23 million minutes of reading in just one day, setting a new state record!                                                                                                                                                            

The students across Florida also created their own “Take the Lead and Read” public service announcement videos, click here to watch and be inspired to read!

Congrats to the state of Florida for their successful Celebrate Literacy Week and breaking the state record of reading minutes in one day!

(In the picture: Clifford is all smiles with  FL First Lady Ann Scott)