(Katy, Texas) – In November, 130 guest readers represented by 50 area businesses and community members across Katy brought the love of reading to 274 Katy ISD classrooms during Promise to Read. This annual initiative is part of a 21-year-old tradition led by Katy ISD’s Partners in Education. Promise to Read affords the community a unique opportunity to reacquaint themselves with the world of children’s literature by spending 30 minutes reading to a classroom of excited elementary students. Each November the program is offered over the course of two weeks at various elementary campuses.
This year’s Promise to Read was hosted at Alexander, Bryant, Golbow, Holland, Fielder, Katy, Shafer, Sundown, West Memorial and WoodCreek elementary schools. Host campuses rotate each year so that, over a four-year period, every Katy ISD elementary has an opportunity to participate.
Readers represented a cross section of local companies and organizations including: ABA Therapy of Houston, Adventure Kids Playcare, American Kids Athletics, Appreciation Financial, ARS Strategic Business Consulting, AXA Advisors, Bass Pro Shops, Bear Hugs, Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More, Brazos Valley Schools Credit Union, Chick-fil-A Mason Road, Cinco Ranch and Katy Green, Chick-fil-A Katy Mills, Christian Brothers Automotive, Code Ninjas, Cook N Grow Katy, Counter’s Tutoring Connection, Enterprise Products Partners L.P., Eventsia Group, Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council, Grand Vision Center, H-E-B, Houston Community College, Houston SPCA, Jason’s Deli, Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas, MAN Turbo and Diesel, Mathnasium of Morton Ranch, Members Choice Credit Union, Memorial Hermann, Murphy Oil Corporation, McDonald’s Glaser Group,
Pictured l to r:
Shelley Carpenter with Brazos Valley Schools Credit Union and Kristin Abel with Yoga West reading at Bryan Elementary School
McDonald’s Glaser-Swift, NWP Group, Prosperity Bank, Rainforest Café, Regions Bank, Shell, Sewell Mercedes-Benz of West Houston, Speed Car HandWash, Storm Literary Agency, Teamsters Local 19, The Conservatory of Music, Triple Play Wireless, Tutoring Club, Webber Commercial Construction, West Oaks Hospital, Wilson Law, Wood., Yellow Rose Properties and Yoga West.
130 guest readers participate in the 21st annual Promise to Read Event held in November
Pictured: Jacob Anderson with AXA Advisors reading at Shafer Elementary School.
“Promise to Read has become a treasured community event thanks to hundreds of devoted community volunteers, many of whom join us every year, and our Katy ISD host campuses,” says Janet Theis,
Katy ISD’s Executive Director of Community Partnerships. “Promise to Read continues to open the door for our business community to embrace and inspire the love of reading and share that magic with classrooms across the district.”
About Katy ISD Partners in Education – Through programs like Promise to Read, Katy ISD Partners in Education creates school-support opportunities for parents, businesses and the community by offering a wide variety of options amenable to every schedule, talent and expertise. We bring volunteers into Katy ISD classrooms at each campus and all grade levels. To learn more, visit Partners in Education under the “Community” tab at www.katyisd.org.