TULSA, Okla. — As a fresh school day got underway at Springdale Elementary School, Third Grader Rosa Lara was dreaming of the future, "I want to grow up to be someone who reports the news!" she said.
Lara got to experience that firsthand Sept. 18 as 2 Cares for the Community teamed up with Equity Bank for Read 2 Lead, a program promoting literacy in schools stopped by her school.
Our team hit the road and spent the morning at Springdale Elementary with our mobile studio.
2 News Oklahoma Anchor Julie Chin and our team of morning meteorologists were on hand to help. Meteorologist Emma Landeros demonstrated the magic of the green screen inside, while Meteorologist Anne Brown talked about storm safety with the help of our storm truck outside.
The truck was a big hit with Lara, "We went to the front of the truck, and there was a little camera on top of it, and we started dancing in front of it!"
All of this action is designed to get kids excited about reading.
"Reading is fun. It helps you grow your brain!" said Lara. Springdale Elementary School Principal Robin Hines agrees, "Reading is so important because it's needed in everyday life. It can affect how successful you are and the trajectory of your life."
Practicing those skills at home is critical, too, which is why the kids make a third stop at the Gaining Ground bus to pick out two books of their own.
There was one more surprise gift: Equity Bank donated $250 to the school. "I think it'll be great to buy bilingual books for our students, which they can read in English and Spanish because we are a dual-language school," said Principal Hines.
Like children's new books, a morning full of twists and turns has Lara hoping for a sequel.
"It was amazing," she said.
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