[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 43 (Monday, March 6, 2023)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 13655-13656]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-04616]


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                         Presidential Documents 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 43 / Monday, March 6, 2023 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 13655]]

                Proclamation 10528 of March 1, 2023

                
Read Across America Day, 2023

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                On Read Across America Day, our Nation recognizes the 
                value of literacy to our democracy. We celebrate the 
                books that inspire our children to dream big, expand 
                the limits of their understanding, and explore diverse 
                perspectives and cultures through the eyes of others. 
                We also honor educators, parents, librarians, authors, 
                mentors, and everyone who fosters the power of reading 
                to open doors of opportunity and build greater 
                awareness about the complex world around us.

                ``The more that you read,'' Dr. Seuss wrote, ``the more 
                things you will know. The more that you learn, the more 
                places you'll go.'' In other words, knowledge is power. 
                Books impart lessons that enrich our lives, stimulate 
                our curiosity, promote contemplation and reflection, 
                and affirm the myriad possibilities available to every 
                person. Reading transports kids to unique places where 
                they can embrace unfamiliar ideas, develop their own 
                intellect, and spark creativity in their lives. Our 
                children are the kite strings that lift our national 
                ambitions, and inspiring them to read is essential to 
                America's future.

                Unfortunately, not all children have the same access to 
                empowering books, dynamic instruction, or environments 
                that foster curiosity. Learning disruptions during the 
                COVID-19 pandemic led many American children to miss 
                reading benchmarks--particularly in historically 
                underserved communities.

                My Administration is committed to improving literacy 
                across America and supporting the devoted educators on 
                the frontlines of this work. That is why our American 
                Rescue Plan invested a historic $122 billion to help 
                schools reopen safely, promote academic recovery, 
                increase teacher pay, enhance mental health services, 
                and expand afterschool and summer programs. Since I 
                took office, public schools have hired 457,000 
                educators and staff, including reading specialists, and 
                we continue to take steps to strengthen the teacher 
                pipeline across the country. Meanwhile, my goal is to 
                make 2 years of high-quality preschool available to 
                every child in America. Research shows that children 
                who start school at 3 and 4 years old are far more 
                likely to graduate from high school and continue their 
                education. My Administration is also promoting adult 
                literacy through our Adult Education State grants, 
                which support programs that help adults become better 
                readers, obtain a secondary school diploma, transition 
                to postsecondary education and training, and gain the 
                knowledge and skills necessary for employment and self-
                sufficiency.

                In the words of the First Lady, a lifelong English 
                teacher, ``loving to read means loving to learn.'' On 
                Read Across America Day and every day, let us nurture 
                our children with the resources and support they need 
                to become proficient and passionate readers. Let us 
                make books accessible, reading fun, and education 
                meaningful. Let us continue striving to put the next 
                generation of Americans on a path of lifelong learning 
                and limitless possibilities.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, by virtue of the 
                authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws 
                of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 2, 2023,

[[Page 13656]]

                as Read Across America Day. I call upon children, 
                families, educators, librarians, public officials, and 
                all the people of the United States to observe this day 
                with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                first day of March, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                seventh.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2023-04616
Filed 3-3-23; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F3-P