Program Overview
Coach K Reads to Chicago Middle-Schoolers at Tip-Off Event
Ticket To Reading Rewards is a reading incentive program that encourages Middle School students to read books outside the classroom and obtain rewards for reading. Ticket To Reading Rewards has three primary components: reading rewards, tickets to local college basketballs games and a coaching component for Middle School coaches to both learn new techniques and to act as mentors for the reading program.
Reading Component: Students are encouraged to read to obtain predetermined rewards for participating and for reading 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 books—with each student able to receive all six rewards. Rewards have included subscriptions to Sports Illustrated for Kids, miniture basketball hoops, medals, trophies, basketballs autographed by NCAA coaches, books and gift certificates. The top reader in each school receives special recognition, and schools compete against each other for a coveted award. All prizes are provided free of charge to the student and school through the generosity of the sponsors and donors of the NABC Foundation.
- Ticket/Campus Visit Component: The NABC Foundation provides free tickets to local college games or practices to all students who enter the program. Teachers often remark that having Middle School students visit a local college campus and visualize themselves attending the college can be the single most important element of our program. This year Ticket To Reading Rewards has set a goal of distributing 50,000 tickets to the program’s participants.
- Coaching/Mentoring Component: The NABC Foundation often runs a Coach the Coaches clinic for Middle School basketball coaches in each school district. The clinic focuses not only on basketball techniques, but also on motivating coaches to encourage their players to reach a high level of reward in the program and to provide leadership within the school to promote reading.
Drexel's Coach James "Bruiser" Flint motivates local Philadelphia students to read and achieve
More specific information regarding the implementation and administration of Ticket To Reading Rewards can be found in the Program Resources section of this site.
Ticket To Reading Rewards is no longer enrolling new districts for the current school year but encourages interested parties to contact the Foundation directly to learn more about placing the free program in their schools for the 2010-11 year. Please use the Contact Us form to obtain more information.