Maine DOE Announces Exciting Opportunity for Participants of 10th Annual Read to ME Challenge

In February, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) will launch its 10th annual Read to ME Challenge, a month-long public awareness campaign to support children’s literacy growth. To celebrate a decade of success, the Maine DOE is offering an exciting new opportunity this year for participating schools and organizations to enter into a drawing to win a visit from a Maine author.

Since 2015, the Read to ME Challenge has encouraged adults to read to and/or with children for at least 15 minutes during the month of February. Those who participate traditionally capture the moment via a photo or video and post it to a social media platform like Facebook or Instagram, using the hashtag #ReadtoME. While anyone may participate in the Read to ME Challenge, this initiative offers a wonderful opportunity for schools, childcare programs, libraries, and other community organizations to get kids engaged with reading.

This year, participating schools and organizations may choose to fill out this form for a chance to be entered into a random drawing at the end of the Read to ME Challenge, which concludes after Read Across America Day on March 2, 2025 (recognized by schools on March 3). About a dozen winners will be selected from this drawing for a visit from a Maine author before the end of the school year in June! These authors have expressed that they are excited to share their works with readers from across the state.

You may learn more about the Read to ME Challenge on the Maine DOE website. Details regarding the kick-off session on Monday, February 3, 2025 will be made available soon. If you are submitting to win an author visit, please complete your entry by Friday, March 7, 2025.

For questions about the Read to ME Challenge, please contact Maine DOE Director of Early Learning Lee Anne Larsen at Leeann.Larsen@maine.gov.

To share photos of your Read to ME Challenge participation, please contact Maine DOE Communications Outreach Manager Rachel Paling at Rachel.Paling@maine.gov. On social media, you may also use the tags @MaineDepartmentofEducation1! on Facebook and @mainedepted on Instagram.