Remember those “Get Caught Reading” posters from the late 90s? Celebrities and athletes from Tim Duncan to Shawn Johnson to Don King posed for the campaign, sponsored by the Association of American Publishers. The American Library Association has an ongoing series of celebrity posters, too, featuring Yao Ming and Drew Brees among many others. While these posters send a positive message and make for entertaining decor, a new reading campaign aims to leverage the popularity of sports in a more direct way.
As Bryan Toporek reports over at Schooled in Sports, Fast Break for Reading is a new collaboration between the International Reading Association and the American Basketball Association (ABA). The campaign encourages students to develop strong(er) reading habits, using incentives like game tickets to reward those who log their reading minutes. Fans can donate books at ABA games, and ABA teams may participate through in-school reading and basketball clinics; a teacher-liaison program is proposed as part of the campaign.
Check out Bryan’s post for more details, and this vintage Michael Jordan poster for inspiration.