Woodrow Wilson Magnet School reading program honored

Danville Register & Bee
Published: April 30, 2008

Woodrow Wilson Magnet School and The Writer’s Block International have been recognized for their literacy partnership with the national Reading is Fundamental (RIF) Program Excellence Honors 2008 Award.

Wilson and Writer’s Block are one of only 25 programs honored with the award nationwide, out of a total of 3,500 eligible programs.

The program was started during the 2001-2002 school year by Shaunee Stephens-Evans, the local RIF coordinator, and Carlton Hemingway, executive director of Writer’s Block.

The program began as a fund to assist students during the annual Scholastic Book Fair and has grown to provide students at Wilson with more than 1,000 free books each year.

“RIF can easily be considered as the cornerstone for literacy achievement among youth,” Evans said in a news release Tuesday. “Reading, put simply, allows any and every individual to be anyone, go anywhere, and do anything. Through reading, we are able to expose out youth and families to the endless possibilities of the world.”

The winners, chosen for successfully partnering with outside organizations to advance children’s literacy, will enjoy a three-day celebration in Washington, D.C., in June, where they will meet in workshops, visit congressional representatives and be honored at an awards ceremony.