Launched in 2013,  Let’s Read RI was created with the mission to reward students for reading until reading becomes its own reward. Our group is made up of team of business owners and educators who truly love to read and want to share that joy with children.

Between September 2013 – December 2016, the Let’s Read RI program focused solely on the students of the North Kingstown School Department in grades Kindergarten through Grade Five.  Upon completion of their monthly reading goals, students earned a bookmark that entitled them to a slice of cheese pizza from Pier Pizza NK.  In the 2016 school year,  the Let’s Read RI  rewards were expanded to other business partners. Students are now able to choose between the slice of cheese pizza from Pier Pizza NK or a small hot chocolate from Updike’s Newtowne Coffee Roasting Company.   All artwork for the program is created by the students through a district wide art contest once each school year, and winners of the contest receive a free pizza in addition to their art being displayed on bookmarks throughout the year.  In December 2016, the Let’s Read RI program further expanded to include the students from the West Bay Christian Academy in North Kingstown, RI.

The Let’s Read RI program runs a number of fundraisers each year in order to purchase books for the students in North Kingstown.  Here are just a few of the events in which the Let’s Read RI program has given away books to the students of NK School Department during the 2016 – 2017 school year.  In August 2016, the Let’s Read RI program gave each entering Kindergarten student a book in order to welcome them into school.  In December 2016, the Let’s Read RI program participated in the NK Breakfast with Santa at the North Kingstown High School.  We provided story hour and a book for each child at the event.  Thanks to sponsorship, we were able to do a one-for-one and also give out books through the NK Giving program to families in need at the holidays. Throughout the 2016 – 2017 school year, the Let’s Read RI program has donated books and food to book clubs at the Suzanne M. Henseler Quidnessett Elementary School.  We have also been testing a pilot program where books are distributed to children participating in the Blessings in a Backpack program at Hamilton Elementary. In June 2017, we will be launching the “Big Book Give Away” at which each student in the NK School District in grades K – 5 will receive a free new book book to read over the summer.