UMD Men’s Basketball Team to Help Launch “Read to the Final Four”

Minneapolis will be hosting "The Final Four" tournament this year and   the 2019 Minneapolis Final Four Local Organizing Committee (MLOC) and the NCAA announced Read to the Final Four – a year-long, statewide reading initiative to promote and inspire reading for young people throughout Minnesota.

The new initiative will be open to students across the state, and accessible in schools, community and library settings. Locally student athletes from the UMD men’s basketball team will be in attendance/reading to kids on Friday September 14 from 12:30-2pm and Piedmont Elementary School.

Duluth is hosting one of at least five launch events being held across the state (others taking place in Bemidji, Minneapolis, Morris and St. Paul) to tipoff the Read to the Final Four program and announce the statewide reading goal component of the initiative.

The initiative includes free access to a library of more than 5,800 high-quality books and a bracket-style reading competition for all Minnesota students, who are in third grade which is a critical year for reading development and overall education.

The event will start with a photo opportunity with the athletes and kids, followed by an introduction from an elementary school representative and then the players will read to the kids.

• Tracking of minutes read will begin this upcoming Fall
• The 68 schools with the highest average time spent reading will qualify for a tournament-style bracket competition
• Teachers will have access to actionable data, highlighting students’ time spent reading
• Prizes will be awarded to the winning school, as well as individual reading leaders, during Final Four week in April, 2019
• Students will continue to have access to the software even after the Final Four has concluded, through June 30, 2019

For more information on this fantastic program Click Here