Dec. 14, 2009
University Park, Pa., Dec. 14, 2009 - Penns Valley Middle School is partnering with Penn State coach Ed DeChellis to tip-off an exciting, effective reading motivational program for the 2009-10 school year -- Ticket To Reading Rewards. TICKET is a program of the National Association of Basketball Coaches Foundation (the men's college basketball coaches in collaboration with national business leaders). The program is for middle school students only (grades 6-8) and is the leading reading motivational program in the country for Middle School students.
Coach DeChellis of Penn State will speak to Penns Valley Middle School's assembled students to officially tip-off TICKET on December 14, 2009 about the importance of reading, education and a college degree.
In addition to his motivational talk, Coach Ed DeChellis has arranged for students to attend a Penn State basketball game. This will be the first visit to a college campus for many students. TICKET has found that visiting a college campus can be instrumental in helping the student focus on college as a goal.
The TOP READING STUDENT in Penns Valley Middle School will receive a special trophy from TICKET and the NABC Foundation. Penns Valley Middle School will also compete for a TOP READING SCHOOL trophy against other schools its size. Penn State will provide 500 free vouchers to the Michigan and Wisconsin men's basketball games as part of the program.
TICKET was created in 2002 by Arne Duncan (now U.S. Secretary of Education ) at Chicago Public Schools, with the aid of the NABC Foundation. Results in Chicago have shown that students can gain nearly an extra grade level in reading by participating in the program. The TICKET website is www.tickettoreadingrewards.org.
Equally important, TICKET is a fun, motivational program that uses the cache of college basketball to challenge students to read up to 25 books outside the classroom. Rewards are achieved for each 5 books read and include: free annual subscription to Sports Illustrated for KIDS, cinch bags, medals, mini hoop-backboard-ball sets and water bottle with carabineer.
Ticket to Reading Rewards info@ttrr.org
NABC Foundation nabc.com