August 19, 2020
UW’s youth reading program sees record numbers during COVID-19 pandemic
Real Dawgs Read is a University of Washington program that typically asks kids to read 30 minutes a day over 30 separate days during the summer.
The program ran a special session between March 25 and June 5 and experienced its highest level of participation — with 3,240 readers taking part — in its five-year existence.
Since 2015, Real Dawgs Read has helped K-8 students across the state experience the joy of reading. Students fill out a reading journal and send it to the UW Office of Trademarks & Licensing, which administers the program. In exchange, elementary and middle-school students get donated Husky merchandise.
The program has partnered with Title I schools working with teachers and librarians to get the word out and distribute the reading journals.