April 23, 2024, Lancaster ISD/Lancaster, TX--Books may be the new vegetables when it comes to living a healthy life. While fresh produce and daily exercise are still very important for raising healthy children, researchers have found that reading also plays a critical role. Being able to read is correlated with lower rates of depression, a higher likelihood of high school graduation, better employment, more effective preventive care, and a longer life overall.
That’s why Atmos Energy and Texas Health Resources have teamed up with area schools and Scholastic Book Fairs to ensure that kids have better access to quality reading material. Thanks to this partnership, more than 600 students in Pre-K through 5th-grade at Pleasant Run Elementary were able to choose two books each at no cost as part of the April 11 book fair. This is the first such book fair in Lancaster ISD supported by Atmos and Texas Health.
"Book fairs play a crucial role in improving literacy by providing students with access to diverse reading materials, which in turn fosters a lifelong love for learning and reading,” said Pamela Alexander, assistant principal. “This not only enhances their academic skills, but also promotes overall wellbeing, contributing to a brighter future for our students. We appreciate Atmos Energy and Texas Health for supporting our students with this Scholastic Book Fair."
Keeping in the spirit of Texas Health’s commitment to improving well-being among the communities it serves, the books focus on nutrition, mindfulness, gardening, and physical activity. Children are offered reading materials in both English and Spanish, along with a diversity of characters and stories about healthy living that they would find relatable.
The collaboration between Atmos Energy and Texas Health began in 2022 and aims to deliver 20,000 free books to nearly 10,000 children in four counties in North Texas this year. Scholastic also donated learning supplies and additional books to the school to help close literacy gaps.
“We are proud to support literacy alongside Texas Health Resources,” said Kimberly Smith, public affairs manager of Atmos Energy. “It’s really a joy to see the faces of these children when they realize they can pick out their own books and take them home. Our goal is to set them up for a love of reading that lasts a lifetime and give every child access to resources to help them read at grade level.”
