Reading Day Shares the Joy of Books with 20,000+ Local Students

This year’s United Way Reading Day presented by Atmos Energy was bigger, more exciting and more impactful than ever before.

The event, celebrated March 1 in more than 1,000 classrooms across North Texas, engaged nearly 1,200 dedicated volunteers who read to more than 20,000 local students. In the lead-up to Reading Day, volunteers also assembled 5,000 literacy kits for local students to promote literacy and donated 5,000 books through in-person and online book drives to build each child’s personal library.

With thousands of change-seekers signing up to read to children, donate books and prepare literacy kits, Reading Day 2024 marked the kickoff of our Aspire United Volunteer Series presented by Texas Instruments, leading up to our centennial anniversary, when we’ll celebrate our first 100 years of impact.

This fun and impactful event inspired hand-raisers from across North Texas to get involved, including Former First Lady Mrs. Laura Bush, who served as honorary Reading Day chair.

United Way Reading Day even got a shoutout on the Today Show, where Jenna Bush Hager was leading her own celebration of Read Across America Day while her mom Laura read to excited kiddos right here in North Texas. Check out the clip here!

Reading Day Fuels Early Literacy

Our annual Reading Day celebration isn’t just about encouraging children to love reading. It also supports early literacy by showing kids that books are fun, accessible and engaging.

Early literacy is directly connected to our focus areas of education, income and health—the building blocks of opportunity. When children develop strong reading skills, they are better equipped to succeed in school, which in turn supports college and career readiness and, later in life, career achievement and even overall health.

By encouraging early reading, together we can advance our mission to create access and opportunity for all North Texans to thrive.