(FRANKFORT, Ky.) -- Unite to Read, a statewide literacy project designed by Kentucky's Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs), will be officially unveiled at a news conference on Friday, June 18, at 10 a.m. at the Executive West Hotel in Louisville.
Kentucky First Lady Glenna Fletcher will join state education and workforce officials and students to launch the initiative, which is designed to promote literacy and lifelong reading among schoolchildren in the state. The launch coincides with a meeting of state CTSO officers in Louisville.
Project partners include the Kentucky Department of Education's Division of Career and Technical Education, the Department for Technical Education, the Future Educators of America (FEA), Kentucky's Student Technology Leadership Program (STLP) and nearly 50,000 middle and high school CTSO members, who will lead the project in their respective schools. The project will dovetail with the KET/PBS Ready to Learn Program, which distributes high-quality books through free workshops, and the PBS Kids -- Share a Story initiative, which helps children develop language and literacy skills
Unite to Read is set to be implemented during the 2004-05 school year. Activities that will be implemented by CTSO members will be discussed during the kickoff celebration on Friday.
CTSOs provide a unique program of career and leadership development, motivation and recognition exclusively for middle/junior high and secondary students enrolled in career and technical programs.
CTSOs include the Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA), Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), FFA , Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), Technology Student Association (TSA) and SKILLS USA-VICA.
An agenda for the kickoff follows.
Unite To Read
Press Conference
Friday, June 18, 2004, 10 a.m.
Executive West Hotel
Louisville, Kentucky
Opening Remarks
Mary Alice Birdwhistell -- President, Kentucky Association of Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America
Remarks
Linda France -- Deputy Commissioner, Kentucky Department of Education
Virginia Fox -- Secretary, Kentucky Education Cabinet
Glenna Fletcher -- First Lady of Kentucky
Closing Remarks
Mary Alice Birdwhistell
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