ROR of Illinois is a partnership with the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (ICAAP) and the Reach Out and Read National Center. Reach Out and Read of Illinois strives to increase literacy and a love for books among children by ensuring that all Illinois children have access to books at an early age. Our goals are achieved by recruiting new ROR sites, providing technical assistance, coordinating provider training on literacy and how to promote reading, facilitating communication among existing sites, and assisting with fundraising to support book distribution.

The Reach Out and Read of Illinois Annual Conference, held on April 16, 2010, was a great success again this year. Over 80 ROR coordinators, medical providers, child development specialists and educators attended the conference.

The guest speaker was Dr. Timothy Shanahan who is a Professor of Urban Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Director of the UIC Center for Literacy. He gave a very informative presentation on family literacy and the importance of parents, teachers and the community in helping children to succeed in school. Other topics included cultural competency, early childhood services for children with disabilities, Reach Out and Read residency training, theories in bilingual development and making Reach Out and Read programs thrive. Thanks to all of you who attended the conference or helped with the planning process. We especially thank the Chicago Public Library for providing an exceptional venue for the third year in a row.

Reach Out and Read of Illinois thanks Borders and its customers in the Chicagoland area for their generous support during a book drive in August and September. Over 29,000 new children’s books were donated to Reach Out and Read programs throughout the Chicagoland area! The donated books were put into the hands of thousands of underserved children throughout Illinois. Thank you Borders for your generosity!

Reach Out and Read of Illinois thanks the United Parcel Service and Toys for Tots for their generous donation of new children’s books. Toys for Tots, with the help of UPS, donated over 8,000 new books to Reach Out and Read. The books were given to children at several different Reach Out and Read programs throughout the state of Illinois. Thank you UPS and Toys for Tots for helping to bring the joy and love of reading into so many children’s lives!

How Can You Get Involved?

You can bring books and a love of reading into a child’s life today by making a monetary donation to ROR IL.

 $2,500 and above (Gold Reader’s Circle)
 $1,000-$2,499 (Silver Reader’s Circle)
 $500-$999 (Author’s Circle)
 $300-$499 (Publisher’s Circle)
 $100-$299 (Illustrator’s Circle)

Please mail all monetary donations to Reach Out and Read of Illinois c/o Illinois Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics 1400 W. Hubbard St., Suite 100, Chicago, IL 60642.

How Else Can You Get Involved?

 Donate new or gently used books to ROR IL
 Volunteer as a reader at an ROR clinic

Please contact Christina Boothby at 312/733-1026 ext. 204 or cboothby@illinoisaap.com with any questions.

Judith Neafsey, MD, ROR IL Chairperson, Chicago Department of Public Health
Mariana Glusman, MD, ROR IL Medical Director, Children’s Memorial Hospital
Ronna Jacobson, Ed.M., Evanston Northwestern Healthcare
Molly Tillay Johnson, MS, CNP, Rural Health, Inc.
Niru Mahidhara, MD, Dreyer Medical Group
Elizabeth McChesney, MLIS, Chicago Public Library System
Peter Noronha, MD, University of Illinois at Chicago
A. Lola Okunade, MD, UIC Mile Square
Margaret Mary Policastro, PhD, Roosevelt University
Marilyn Price, Marilyn Price Puppets
Carrie Sharkey Asner, MD, University of Illinois-Chicago College of Medicine at Rockford
Marie Weissbourd, PhD, Northwestern Memorial Hospital