“This milestone is more than a number—it’s a celebration of Florida families making reading part of their everyday lives,” said Shaunté Duggins, Ph.D., Associate Director of State Initiatives at the UF Lastinger Center for Learning. “Ten million books represent ten million opportunities for children to discover new worlds, build literacy skills, and fall in love with reading.”
In addition to at-home book delivery for children and families, the Lastinger Center creates professional learning opportunities for teachers. These one and a half day workshops are based in the Science of Reading and connect the New Worlds Reading at-home book delivery program to classroom instruction. Last year, over 900 educators from 56 counties participated in New Worlds Reading Teacher Professional Learning.
In an effort to meet families where they are, New Worlds Reading also has a team of six Family and Community Engagement Specialists and a Regional Partnership program. By partnering with organizations across the state, New Worlds Reading hosted or attended more than 1,000 community events in the 2023-2024 academic year.
"We are incredibly proud of what this initiative has accomplished in just a few short years," said Robin Gregory, MSM., Assistant Director of New Worlds Reading. "From children and families to educators and regional partners, New Worlds Reading strives to meet families where they are and support every level of the educational ecosystem."
Families can learn more and apply for the books from the 2024-2025 school year by June 22, 2025, at newworldsreading.com.