Our amazing volunteers read to almost 5,000 kids during our first-ever United We Read Event on Mar. 13! Thank you to the roughly-170 people who volunteered, plus many others who worked behind the scenes to pull off this event.
United Way of Yellowstone County placed volunteers in every elementary school in School District 2 in Billings to read to children, and partnered with the Education Foundation for Billings Public Schools and The Big J Show Cares to pull it off. We also supported Books For Kids, a Big J Show Cares program aiming to give every kid in Yellowstone County one book per month, the ensure that every elementary school student in Billings will get a book for the final three months of the school year.
Why is reading to kids important?
- Reading helps kids develop not only language skills, but other brain functions like emotional regulation.
- Hearing stories helps spark kids' curiosity and imagination, building positive feelings about reading.
- When adults model good reading habits, kids are more likely to become lifelong readers.
Thank you to our generous sponsors!
