Start your year of reading with…

Usher

Watch The Replay!

MAKEADIFFERENCE

When kids read, their whole world opens up. Everything becomes possible. And when they share their love of reading and take informed action, they help make a difference in their schools and communities, and help create a world full of possible. Here are some great examples of how teachers and students are already making a difference.

Viewers of November’s “BIGGERTHAN Words“ live webcast with Usher helped the Scholastic Possible Fund put 100,000 books into the hands of children who need them most by choosing which literacy organization they wanted the books to go to.

We then gave teachers and students the opportunity to actively connect with and share the power of reading in their lives with our “BIGGERTHAN Booklist Challenge.“ Check out the top 10 “BIGGERTHAN Books“ they chose here!

To learn more about civic engagement, check out these lesson plans and books.

And remember to keep the momentum going throughout the year—small actions all add up in making a huge difference in the lives of countless children.

Open a World of Possible

Scholastic’s mission is built on helping children learn to read and love to read. We believe that independent reading is a critical part of children’s learning and growth.

With support from teachers, parents and schools, children choose from Scholastic the books they want to read, and discover the pleasure and power of reading.

Finding the right book at the right time can light an emotional spark within children that motivates them to read more, understand more and read joyfully.

When that happens, the world opens. Everything becomes possible.

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What has

Usher been up to…

This year is proving to be a big year for Usher not only in Music but also Film and TV. Musically, Usher is currently finishing recording his much anticipated 8th studio album which is set for release this Fall.Earlier this year he completed the filming of his role as boxer Sugar Ray Leonard in the upcoming film “Hands of Stone,” a biopic of boxer Roberto Duran played by Edgar Ramirez and costars Robert De Niro due in theaters early 2015. In addition, Usher recently completed his second season as a coach on NBC’s Emmy award winning hit TV show “The Voice” where he proved his top-notch coaching capability by mentoring Josh Kaufman who became the champion of season 6.

Challenging himself creatively and testing musical boundaries are characteristics that have defined Usher’s career since he was first discovered twenty years ago on Star Search. Usher has been ranked by the Recording Industry Assn. of America as one of the best-selling artists in American music history, having sold over 46 million albums worldwide. He has won numerous awards including 8 Grammy Awards and was named the #1 Hot 100 artist of the 2000s decade. Billboard named him the second most successful artist of the 2000s decade, with his career-propelling 2004 album “Confessions” being ranked as the top solo album of the 2000s decade. Usher has attained nine Hot 100 #1 hits (all as a lead artist) and 18 Hot 100 top-10 singles.

Realizing that with success comes responsibility. Usher has also proven to be a major philanthropic force. Usher believes that students have the ability to make impactful changes in their communities when given the tools. In 1999, he created New Look, a charitable organization that develops global youth leaders. New Look is equipping students with all of the necessary skills needed to affect change.

In recognition of his accomplishments, Usher has been honored by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the Trumpet Foundation, Do Something, the NAACP, and as the 2010 Ford Freedom Award Scholar. Usher’s business ventures include a best-selling line of fragrances, and a business venture with RBMG (Raymond Braun Media Group).

Our  Partners:

usher's new look logo

Usher’s New Look, founded by Usher Raymond in 1999, is at the forefront of the education crisis, meeting youth where their interests lie and developing them as global youth leaders by way of Access, Awareness & Empowerment. UNL’s peer-to-peer training model focuses on developing
well-rounded, forward-thinking leaders who excel in the Four Pillars of Talent, Education, Career, and Service. Today, UNL has served over 21,000 youth across the U.S and internationally.
Join the Usher’s New Look National Reader Leader challenge here!

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GLOBAL CITIZEN logo

Global Citizen is a tool to amplify and unite a generation’s call for justice. It’s a place for you to learn and act, to bring an end to extreme poverty. Global Citizens celebrate the efforts made to cut extreme poverty by half, but recognize more still needs to be done. We know that people living in extreme poverty are working hard themselves, and that we use Global Citizen to learn more about issues, so we can take effective action for change and find opportunities to support campaigns and organizations creating sustainable change. There are more than 250,000 Global Citizens already taking action around the world. Join the conversation at globalcitizen.org.

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