Partnership Encourages Teen Reading CNAPSA)—More than 40 million adults cannot read well enough to fill out an application, read a food label or read a story to a child. They lack theliteracy skills needed to find and keep decent jobs, support their children’s education and participate actively in civic life, according to the latest National Adult Literacy Survey. In an effort to help address this issue, Morningstar Foods, distributor and marketer of HERSHEY’S Milks and MilkShakes, and the American Library Association (ALA) have extended their twoyear partnership. The goal is to raise awareness of America’s libraries as critical to student achievement and lifelong learning and to help America’s teens get excited about reading. During the past two years, Morningstar Foods and ALA have recruited more than 2,100 teens and libraries nationwide to participate in a teen reading program. The program—Drive to Read @ your library—presented teens with a chance to discover the value of libraries, to check out and read books and to discover the world of limitless possibilities available through reading. The program challenged teens to read books and submit creative entries for the chance to win a trip to meet a celebrity figure. Winners for the 2003-2004 program will meet skateboard legend Tony Hawk. “At the American Library An annual program helps teens discover the wonder and possibilities of reading. Association, we understand that a teen who reads is a teen who succeeds,” says ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels. “Libraries play an absolutely critical role in teen reading by providing high-interest materials and programs that can catch the interest of even the most reluctant reader. Through this partnership, we can help libraries reach teens with a fun reading program that rewards them for using their imagination—and their local libraries.” This year, the program is called Get on Board and Read @ your library. Teens are challenged to read books, submit creative entries and sign up for a chance to meet Tony Hawk in 2004. Interested teens should go to www.hersheysmilk.com for additional program details.
