Blake O'Connor Honored in PARADE Magazine for Literacy Festival
"I Feel the Need to Read" Celebrates Joy of Reading with Hundreds of Second Graders

Bezos Scholars @ the Aspen Institute are asked to bring home what they learned at the Aspen Ideas Festival and share that knowledge by creating Local Ideas Festivals in schools and communities across the U.S. The results of those festivals for 2009 scholars were stellar, and focused on topics ranging from celebrations of the arts, education, the environment and diversity, to leadership and volunteerism.

One 2009 scholar - Blake O’Connor - has been named to PARADE magazine's "PARADE's All-American Service Team" in recognition of his efforts to increase literacy through his "I Feel the Need to Read" Local Ideas Festival. He'll travel to Washington, D.C. on June 23 to accept the award in a special ceremony.

PARADE magazine, in its June 6 cover story, revealed it had asked readers to nominate students in five categories: economics, the environment, education, community and health. Fifteen winners were selected from those nominations. “Their entrepreneurial spirit is inspiring,” Education Secretary Arne Duncan was quoted in the article. “These young people are our future leaders.” O'Connor met with Arne Duncan last summer in an hour-long, scholars-only session with Secretary Duncan at the Aspen Ideas Festival.

O’Connor and assistant principal for curriculum Rosemary Owens of Freedom High School in Tampa, Florida, created an exciting multi-event literacy festival that had hundreds of second graders shouting to the rooftops and skies: “I Feel the Need to Read!” The events galvanized the school and local community. Freedom High School students visited local Title 1 elementary schools for readings with 250 young students and gave a book to each child. Freedom High also offered a free, public evening event for parents and children. It featured a panel discussion with education experts who helped parents learn how to raise children who love to read, read-alouds with former Tampa Bay Buccaneers, art book displays by the art department, and performances by the Freedom High jazz band, choir and drama department. The cheerleaders and R.O.T.C also participated. The final event, timed to Sr. Seuss’s birthday and Read Across America activities, brought 250 second graders to Freedom High for a day of literacy activities, games and a picnic lunch. They even brought in a fire truck for fun word exercises.

Jackie Bezos, President of the Bezos Family Foundation, said, "Just as the Aspen Ideas Festival inspires replication for Bezos Scholars to create Local Ideas Festivals in their schools and communities, we’re hoping this literacy model will inspire replication throughout the district, and beyond."

Read more: Freedom grad garners national honor for community service