Saint Louis Public Schools

Wilkinson Early Childhood Center parent Ami Boehlje deserves a standing ovation for organizing the school's participation in the Jumpstart's Read for the Record event.  Thanks to Ami's dedication, Wilkinson students joined more than 2 million other children around the world in reading "Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad" on October 4.

Ami arranged for several "guest readers" to visit Wilkinson and read "Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad" to children.  Serving as "guest readers" for the day were St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, SLPS Special Administrative Board President/CEO Rick Sullivan, Alderman Scott Olgivie, State Representative Tishaura Jones, KSDK reporter Julie Tristan, SLPS Director of Early Childhood Dr. Sheryl Davenport, Maryville University Dean of Education Dr. Sam Hausfather, Maryville University Associate Dean of Education Nancy Williams, Wilkinson Art Teacher Diane Solan, Kwame Group's Ron Roberts, parent Dana Evans, parent Sarah Beck and grandparent Mary Eichner.

Jumpstart’s premiere national campaign Read for the Record, presented in partnership with the Pearson Foundation, is one day of the year when millions of individuals come together to celebrate literacy and support Jumpstart in its efforts to promote early childhood education. On October 4^th, people across the country read the children’s book Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad, by David Soman and Jacky Davis, in support of Jumpstart’s mission to work towards the day that every child in America enters school prepared to succeed.

In 2006, Jumpstart launched the first Read for the Record campaign with the classic story The Little Engine that Could. Jumpstart began the morning of that campaign day on NBC's TODAY Show, which has become a proud tradition. Jumpstart’s supporters helped set a new record for reading the same book on the same day, and in the process, created a national forum for concerned citizens to voice their support of early education.