LAKE COUNTY ? The Lake County Office of Education (LCOE) Literacy Task Force received a grant of $4,000 to host The Big Read in Lake County.
The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), designed to revitalize the role of literature in American culture and to encourage citizens to read for pleasure and enlightenment.
The Big Read is managed by Arts Midwest. LCOE is one of 77 nonprofit organizations to receive a grant to host a Big Read project between September and June 2014. The Big Read in Lake County will focus on The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. Activities will take place in October.
According to Project Director Robin Fogel-Shrive, October”s Big Read will include opportunities for community members to join a book discussion group or engaging activity that will bring residents together to explore the motifs of the novel.
The grant focus expanded to include partnerships with community colleges, Lake County arts and business members, as well as K-12 districts and programs.
Middle and high school language arts teachers will receive a copy of the novel for summer reading and the Little Read, in partnership with the Lake and Mendocino Reading Council, will offer a book selection and curriculum packet connected to The Big Read, to inspire younger readers.
NEA Acting Chairman Joan Shigekawa said, “It”s wonderful to see that these 77 communities are making reading and the celebration of books a priority. I look forward to seeing the innovative ways they find to engage their communities in these great works of classic and contemporary literature.”
The Big Read provides communities nationwide with the opportunity to read, discuss, and celebrate one of 31 selections from U.S. and world literature.
The organizations will receive Big Read grants to promote and carry out community-based reading programs featuring activities such as read-a-thons, book discussions, lectures, movie screenings and performing arts events. Participating communities also receive free-of-charge educational materials to supplement each title, including Reader”s, Teacher”s, and Audio Guides, which are also available or download on neabigread.org.
The Lake County Literacy Task Force has a vision that everyone in the county young, adults and elders, not only be able to read, but desire to read.
For more information on The Lake County Big Read, email bigreadlakecounty@gmail.com or visit www. lakecoe.org.
