The founder, John Jorgensen, created the program in Casper, Wyoming, for family reasons. He is a Rotarian there and was immediately and continuously supported by his club and fellow Rotarians. This program has grown to be state-wide: https://wyomingreads.org

In Klamath Falls, Oregon, under Rotary President Carol Fellows leadership, the program grew from the city’s schools to include all schools in Klamath County,  an area larger than the state of Vermont, as well as nearby Tule Lake in California. The same Carol Fellows is now the leader for the Ashland Reads program. Next year Carol plans to grow the program to the two smaller communities just north of Ashland—Talent and Phoenix— which, of course, have an interested Rotary Club!

The program also exists in two cities in Minnesota and six cities in Oregon. Woodland will be the first such program in California.

The basic elements of the program are that first grade teachers read five or six books to their students, and each student choses his/her favorite book. 

At a celebratory event promoting reading near the end of the school year, students are not only entertained, but are given a book bag with their names on it and inside find a hard bound copy of the book each of them chose earlier in the year. Each one of those books has a specially designed book plate with the individual child’s name on it. It is the child's book to keep for life!

1. This is the Ashland Tidings story including video about Ashland’s program, the first year for that city but chaired by Carol Fellows, who brought the program to Klamath Falls and led it for many years. http://www.dailytidings.com/news/20160526/ashland-celebrates-reading  

2. YouTube video from Casper Reads, 2015: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ime2eFUzER0

3. Flyer (attached) announcing Woodland Kids Read, a program of the three Rotary Clubs of Woodland and Woodland United Way, based on the Casper, Klamath Falls and Ashland programs. The program for the morning is laid out in detail (attached).

4. Story of Good Queen Sue, (attached) which John Jorgensen tells to the first graders while student actors pantomime the story.

Overall Chair: Lori Ross, 6623633; Sunrise Rotary Wayne Ginsburg; Woodland Noon Gary Wegener; Luna Vista Cass Silva