CIS, Reading Is Fundmamental, Pitney Bowes partnership engages more than 1,000 children and parents in literacy

               Atlanta City Councilman Michael Julian Bond helps a student select a new book

               for her home library at the CIS of Atlanta Family Literacy Block Party in May.

On May 20th, nearly 700 children and more than 300 parents took part in CIS of Atlanta's Family Literacy Block Party, an event hosted in partnership with Reading Is Fundamental and volunteers from Pitney Bowes. The event was designed to get entire families excited about reading and make certain reading is a priority during the summer months. CIS of Atlanta was one of just three Reading Is Fundamental partner programs throughout the country selected to host the special event.

"What Communities In Schools of Atlanta has done to get this level of parental engagement and excitment around reading is truly unbelievable and worthy of recognition," said Councilman Michael Julian Bond as he observed the crowd of parents and children during the event.

Communities In Schools of Atlanta operates the largest Reading Is Fundamental program in the state of Georgia, distributing over 22,000 books to more than 6,700 young people during the 2009-10 school year.