National PTA and Amazon Award Kindle E-Readers to Schools For National Reading Month

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Apr 12, 2017, 12:37 ET

ALEXANDRIA, Va., April 12, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- National PTA and Amazon are pleased to award Kindle e-readers to 100 schools and PTAs across the country to encourage family reading, promote a love of literature and support student success. These schools and PTAs were selected to receive the Kindle e-readers for their leadership and commitment to the importance of family engagement and core literacy skills for children's achievement. The donation of e-readers is part of the PTA Family Reading Experience, Powered by Kindle program and was made in conjunction with National Reading Month.

"National Reading Month is a time to celebrate the importance of reading, foster children's growth as readers and promote a lifelong love of literature," said Laura M. Bay, president of National PTA. "We are thrilled to equip local PTAs and schools with Kindle e-readers during National Reading Month for literacy and family engagement efforts."

PTA Family Reading Experience, Powered by Kindle is a national program that engages the whole family to support the development of literacy skills and foster a love of reading. Through a set of fun, educational activities, the program empowers families with information and tools to use at home and new ways to explore reading books together.

"Families play an essential role in helping children develop their literacy skills. When families read together, children do better in school and beyond," added Nathan R. Monell, CAE, National PTA executive director. "We are pleased to continue our collaboration with Amazon to empower families to read together and support children's growth as readers through the Family Reading Experience program."

National PTA announced the donation of Kindle e-readers during a PTA Family Reading Experience, Powered by Kindle event at Parklawn Elementary School in Alexandria, Va. Parklawn Elementary School PTA was awarded a classroom of Kindle e-readers from National PTA and Amazon.

Principal Larry Aiello expressed his excitement for the opportunities these devices will bring to Parklawn Elementary School, stating, "As technology advances and changes the way readers access books, having effective tools to progress along with this change is vital to schools. This donation will allow us to put more books in the hands of our students and engage them in authentic literacy experiences."

PTA Family Reading Experience, Powered by Kindle was launched in 2013. Since joining forces, National PTA and Amazon have given over 3,500 Kindle e-readers to students, families and schools nationwide.

"Reading is an essential part of education which is why we, at Amazon, are dedicated to making it easier for readers to get lost in an author's world and helping kids and families become voracious readers," said Arthur van Rest, general manager at Kindle. "In celebration of National Reading Month, we are thrilled to again be teaming up with PTA on this program and working together to help inspire a love for reading."

About National PTA
National PTA® comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of family engagement in schools. PTA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in PTA is open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference for the education, health, and welfare of children and youth.

About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit Amazon.com/about.

SOURCE National PTA