“It is important that children learn the joys of reading and of expressing themselves through writing. Literacy can stimulate a child’s imagination, setting him or her on course for limitless opportunities and untold successes. By encouraging our children to read and write, we are paving the way to a brighter future.”
First Lady Ginger Beebe
A staunch advocate of reading and literacy programs, Mrs. Beebe partners with students at the Clinton School of Public Service to take Flat Stanley, the children’s book character, with them on service projects around the world. She uses Flat Stanley’s experiences as a teaching tool when visiting with and reading to students throughout Arkansas.
In April 2009, the First Lady hosted a special event, “Literacy and Lunch on the Lawn”, for more than 250 elementary-school students. The children brought sack lunches with them and picnicked on the lawn. They were also given a tour of the Mansion grounds and were read to by Arkansas authors Carla McClafferty and Janis Kearney, as well as by local celebrities. Following the event, the First Lady received many letters from the children, thanking her and sharing with her the activities they enjoyed most during their day at the Governor’s Mansion. Mrs. Beebe answered to the children’s letters, encouraging them to continue reading and writing throughout the summer months.
During this year’s “summer of service,” Mrs. Beebe joined thousands of other Arkansans who volunteered their time for the National Day of Service and Remembrance. In Arkansas, the theme of National Service Day was “Together We Read”, which placed volunteer readers in every Arkansas elementary school on September 11. The event was sponsored by the First Lady in association with the Arkansas Department of Human Services’ Division of Volunteerism, the Arkansas Department of Education, Rotary International, and City Year Little Rock/North Little Rock. She encourages others to continue volunteering to read to children in a school setting all year long.
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