Our Work

We do everything we can think of to encourage reading! Here are some highlights:

• The Readmobile – brings read-aloud fun and free books for kids! The colorful truck and driver visits schools, day care centers, parks, Chattanooga Housing Authority locations, and other places where families with young children may gather. Mr. Stewart (and a team of volunteers when needed) provides a highly engaging read-aloud experience and makes sure that each child gets to choose a brand new, age-appropriate book, to keep and take home, free of charge. Please contact our Readmobile Coordinator, Stewart Payne at 423 443-2527, or via email at stewartp@hamiltontn.gov, or call the Read 20 office at 423 209-6190.
• READ 20 at Your Business – The Readmobile also visits businesses to encourage employees to read with their children. Trust us – the adults are well entertained and participants get to choose a book to take home and read with their children, grandchildren, etc..
• Probasco Readers – Working with Hamilton County schools and teachers, this program provides incentives and rewards for children for reading at least a million words in a year. Schools compete and win significant prize monies for books, libraries, and other literacy initiatives.
• Guide for Kindergarten Skills – We worked with a team from Hamilton County schools to develop this guide to help parents and teachers prepare children for school. This was a much-needed resource – people from all over the country are asking us to assist with the process of great education measures for all children entering kindergarten. 
• Read 20 Neighborhood Libraries – We provide books that volunteers use to fill the Read 20 Neighborhood Libraries. Initially we placed 18 libraries throughout the Hamilton County area. We hope they will eventually be placed in every neighborhood, in businesses, and in city and county service departments. We’re happy if children borrow the books or keep them, either way!