CONTACT:
Sally Aman, National Head Start Association, 202-262-8003
Brittany Sullivan, Scholastic, bsullivan@scholastic.com, 212-343-4848

Washington, DC – May 18, 2017 – Today, the National Head Start Association (NHSA) is celebrating Head Start’s 52nd birthday by partnering with Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, to kick-off Community Reading Day. Across the country, 1,400 local Head Start programs are hosting community reading day celebrations featuring visits from local officials and community leaders to read to children using 80,000 books donated by Scholastic to programs nationwide.

A number of local and state guests are visiting local Head Start programs:

• Massachusetts First Lady Lauren Baker will be joining Head Start’s birthday celebration at the Dimock Center Head Start in Roxbury, MA. She will read to the children and be joined by Clifford the Big Red Dog ® for the festivities.
• NHSA’s Healthy Living Ambassador, Chef Hugh Acheson, will be celebrating with students and staff at Dade County Head Start in Trenton, GA. Acheson will tour the center and read aloud from one of the books donated by Scholastic to celebrate Community Reading Day.
• Lucinda Robb, granddaughter of President Lyndon B. Johnson, will be joining the birthday festivities with students and staff at Fairlington United Methodist Campagna Head Start Center in Alexandria, VA.
• Greg Worrell, President of Scholastic Education, will be celebrating Head Start’s birthday with Project Social Care Head Start in Brooklyn, NY.

“This partnership with Scholastic is a great way not only to celebrate the power and promise of the Head Start Advantage, but also to foster local engagement,” said Yasmina Vinci, Executive Director of the National Head Start Association. “These community reading days are an important opportunity to raise awareness in local communities about the magnificent impact of Head Start.”

The National Head Start Association is a not-for-profit organization committed to the belief that every child, regardless of circumstances at birth, has the ability to succeed in school and in life. The opportunities offered by Head Start lead to healthier, empowered children and families, and stronger, more vibrant communities. NHSA is the voice for more than 1 million children, 200,000 staff and 1,600 Head Start grantees in the United States. Visit www.nhsa.org and follow @NatlHeadStart for more information.

For more information about Scholastic, visit the Company’s online media room at http://mediaroom.scholastic.com.