Maine DOE Invites Learners, Educators, and Community Members to Participate in the 10th Annual Read to ME Challenge

For the 10th consecutive year, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) is partnering with schools and community organizations across the state to promote the Read to ME Challenge. This month-long public awareness campaign, held every February, encourages reading and literacy development among Maine children.

The Read to ME Challenge inspires adults to read to or with children for at least 15 minutes during February, fostering a love for reading and supporting literacy growth. Participants are encouraged to capture these moments in photos or videos and share them on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter/X with the hashtag #ReadtoME. They can also challenge their social media connections to join in as well, amplifying the initiative's reach across Maine.

This campaign is open to everyone and provides an excellent opportunity for schools, child care programs, libraries, and community organizations to plan creative ways to participate. Past participants have included college and high school sports teams, civic organizations, library programs, recreation departments, and educational groups, many of which have hosted inspiring events to engage children in reading.

The 10th Annual Read to ME Challenge will officially launch on Monday, February 3, 2025 and will run through Read Across America Day on March 2, 2025.

To learn more about the Read to ME Challenge, please visit the Maine DOE website. Stay tuned for details about special opportunities to celebrate the 10th anniversary, as well as information about the campaign's kick-off event.

For questions, please contact Maine DOE Director of Early Learning Lee Anne Larsen at [email protected].

To share photos/videos of your Read to ME Challenge participation, please contact Maine DOE Communications Outreach Manager, Rachel Paling, at [email protected]. You may also do so on social media, using the tags @MaineDepartmentofEducation1! on Facebook and @mainedepted on Instagram.