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Evanston's Pope John XXII School Wins International Reading Tournament
Inaugural Bilingual Reading Tournament Inspires More Than 5,000 Readers Across Mexico and the U.S. to Log 700,000 Reading Minutes
Organizers 311Literacy and Little Bookmates announced the successful conclusion of their first International Bilingual Reading Tournament of 2024, a remarkable event that provided books in English and Spanish to inspire the joy of reading in thousands of children across Mexico and the United States. Throughout the three weeks of this inaugural contest, more than 5,000 children read nearly 700,000 minutes and an impressive 20,000 books.
Logging more reading minutes than any of their competitors, organizers are excited to recognize Pope John XXIII School in Evanston, IL USA and Instituto Thomas Jefferson Palomar, Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico as the Tournament’s winners. Tournament sponsor, The Bolsa Mexicana de Valores, the Mexican Stock Exchange, will host a celebration event in Mexico City on May 27 to celebrate these readers.
Dr. Mary Maloney, Principal of the Pope John Paul XXIII school, remarked, “We are immensely proud of our students’ exceptional performance in the Reading Tournament. Their dedication to literacy underscores our school’s commitment to fostering a lifelong love for reading and learning. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the organizers of the tournament for providing this platform for students to showcase their talents and passion for literature.”
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Debra Revolorio, Director of Curriculum for the Thomas Jefferson schools said, “Incredible victory for the Thomas Jefferson Institute Campus Palomar! Our students were crowned international champions in the Reading Tournament. In total, as a school, they devoured 149,903 minutes of reading and enjoyed 5,790 books in English and Spanish. A special round of applause to Professor Miguel Casillas' Group 3C, who added 17,409 minutes. Congratulations on your dedication and passion for books!”
Perhaps most notably, since the official close of the Tournament in late March, more than 15% of participants have continued to engage with the reading platform, using their free subscription with the LightSail Literacy Solution to log an additional 10,000 reading minutes.
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“We couldn’t be more proud of the extraordinary impacts our first contest has had on students across Mexico and the U.S. The fact that participants are still reading after the end of the Tournament illustrates our ability to ignite a love of reading and inspire a lifelong habit,” said Ariadna Trapote, founder of 311Literacy and Little Bookmates. “The success of the tournament is a testament to the dedication and passion of the young readers, as well as the unwavering support of our generous sponsors.”
On behalf of thousands of readers and educators across Mexico and the U.S. 311Literacy and Little Bookmates extend their heartfelt gratitude to Tournament sponsors for their invaluable contributions, including:
The generous support of these corporate sponsors has been instrumental in making this event a truly remarkable success. 311Literacy is honored to have them as partners in executing against the mission to instill a lifelong love of reading as a way to equip children and teens with the tools needed to become critical thinkers and compassionate global citizens.
“The Denver Broncos are happy to support initiatives that promote education and literacy in both Mexico and the U.S.,” Marisol Villagómez, Director of Multicultural Marketing at The Denver Broncos Football Club.
“We are thrilled to be able to support this international Tournament and completely aligned with 311Literacy’s belief that literacy is not just a skill, but a fundamental aspect of human development,” said Gerardo Aparicio Yacotú, Director de Cultura Financiera at the Bolsa Mexicana. “This event is a testament to the transformative power of literacy and the boundless potential of our youth, and we look forward to continuing to support this organization’s efforts to empower people and improve lives.”
From March 1 through March 23, students between the ages of 6 and 15, registered by teachers at public and private schools in both regions, worked to record the most reading minutes. The Tournament leveraged the LightSail Literacy Solution to record and tally each participant's minutes read. The robust LightSail platform offers more than 4,000 digital titles in English and Spanish to choose from. With thousands of books available online, the tournament provided access to a wide variety of texts, logging each minute that students spend reading.
The 2024 Bilingual Reading Tournament has been a transformative experience for participants, and organizers are thrilled to celebrate the remarkable achievements of these young readers. Their dedication, hard work, and enthusiasm have been truly inspiring, and 311Literacy is proud to recognize their accomplishments. The success and impact of this contest has led to the announcement of the next Bilingual Reading Tournament this fall. Registration is now open at http://311literacy.com/.
