Join us in A Community Literacy Event!
Read Across Kenosha
Thursday, March 5, 2026
Gateway Technical College, 3520 30th Ave

United Way of Kenosha County is excited to once again celebrate Read Across Kenosha. The 16th Annual event is taking place on Thursday, March 5, 2026 in conjunction with National Education Association's Read Across America. This year’s event is once again the exciting in-person event volunteers might recognize as "Readers Are Leaders day." Volunteers will meet for a kickoff event at 8 a.m. at Haribo Hall, located at Gateway Technical College. Get involved by becoming a volunteer reader at the link below!

Event Details

Check-in Begins at 7:30am: We highly encourage volunteers to arrive at 7:30am to find parking and register with ease as we will have nearly 200 volunteers to get through!

Kickoff Meeting at 8:10am: Volunteers will start at the kickoff location for a brief 30-minute meeting and breakfast. Here, you’ll pick up your bag of books and classroom materials, it will have your assigned classroom details as well.

Classroom Reading 9am - 12pm: The second part of the day involves reading to a classroom, which will take 20–30 minutes. The books you’ll receive will be tailored to the grade level you’re reading to.

To help you prepare before the event:

• We'll send confirmations of your assigned school, classroom, and time.

• We’ll share digital copies of the books in advance so you can familiarize yourself with them.

• We’ll provide prompts to help you ask engaging questions and connect with the students with your materials.

The Books

The 2026 book selection will feature a diverse authors and titles, guided by National Education Association’s recommendations for Read Across America as well as suggestions from Kenosha Unified School District. Books encompass a wide range of everyday lessons and heart-warming stories that are directed towards specific grade levels.

Support Read Across Kenosha and Get Involved

We are asking for your help. Make a gift to United Way of Kenosha County to help us provide all classrooms with one of the books being read. A ten dollar donation will put a book in the hands of students and will also support United Way’s ongoing education programs. Thank you in advance for your support of this community literacy initiative!