Lafayette Kiwanis and LPSS Give Bicycles to Encourage Reading

The Lafayette Parish School System has partnered with the Kiwanis Club of Lafayette on a mission to get children to read more books.  This initiative will give incentives to students in a new way. Pre-pandemic the children were encouraged through the Accelerated Reader program at school with librarians and teachers offering prizes and parties as an incentive. Obviously, the pandemic restrictions prevent that from happening now.

Luckily for our kiddos, the Kiwanis Club of Lafayette is helping in a big way. They are donating prizes such as new bicycles at each of the 25 schools in Lafayette Parish School System, according to KATC. Members of the Kiwanis Club personally donated money so each school could get two bicycles. That’s 50 bikes total.

Paula Graffeo, librarian at J. Wallace James Elementary, tells KATC that students can even have multiple entries, depending on how well they perform with their goals.

I just hope they take away a love for reading, that's my focus. To get the right book in the hands of the right child, at the right time, and I really hope they get a love for reading from it. -Paula Graffeo

If you would like to donate to this project or get more information on the program, email rewards4reading@lafayettekiwanis.org.