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14 ADVOCATE | SPRING 2016 Around AEA fall in love with Dr. Seuss, and they fall in love with reading," says Leivas, the Ari- zona educator of eight years. "Reading is important to our community and it's the crux of our nation. The more kids who fall in love with reading the better off everyone will be." "Every year on NEA's Read Across America Day, the imaginations of children across the country are ignited when they open up a good book," said NEA President Lily Eskelsen García. "While we take a fun and lighthearted approach to our Read Across America celebrations, we do so with a serious purpose in mind: to encourage a love of reading. As educators, we know that students who read—and are read to— do better in school and in life." NEA members and schools across the nation host school and community events on March 2nd designed to pay homage to the beloved children's book author and get young people excited about reading. Read Across America has more than 50 national partners, including the American Library Association, the National Parent Teacher Association, NFL Players Asso- ciation, Reading is Fundamental, Screen Actors Guild Foundation, Random House Children's Books, Reading Rockets, United Through Reading, Heart of America Foundation, First Book, and Youth Service America. "This national celebration is not just about one hour or one day of reading, it is about cultivating a lifetime of good read- ing habits that will translate into academic success," said Eskelsen García. "NEA's Read Across America brings students, parents, educators, and the entire community together to share the joy of reading." For more information on NEA's Read Across America, visit: www.nea.org/ readacross. VENTURE OUT NEA members save up to 25% on car rentals. Visit www.neamb.com/carrental to learn about more savings and benefits from each of our car rental partners. 800-227-7368 800-876-2372 800-462-5266 800-654-3131 NEA, NEA Member Benefits and the NEA Member Benefits logo are registered service marks of NEA's Member Benefits Corporation. CR030316 800-800-4000 in partnership with