Help spread the word about the FOURTH BIRTHDAY PARTY of Alabama’s official literacy mascot – SHORT the Squirrel!  The event is happening on Thursday, February 22nd and is open to classrooms across the state.

SHORT was founded by longtime friends, and the former Troy University sorority sisters Dee Bennett and Monica Young, when they noticed a lack of reading materials for kids in waiting places in their community.

Since then, the organization has developed a SERIES of 14 grant-funded,
educational and engaging “SHORT” books that are available for FREE – to children in schools and common waiting areas such as – doctors’ offices, banks and courtrooms, highlighting topics like financial literacy, mental health and sustainability with talking points for parents to encourage an outpouring of connection and engagement. SHORT the Squirrel makes countless visits to schools across the state throughout the year, showing how reading can, in fact, be fun.

Happening February 22nd, SHORT’s virtual birthday party is completely FREE and its open to classrooms across the state.  Online registration is
required and all registered teachers will receive a link for the party and corresponding curriculum, making it easy to seamlessly integrate the experience into their lesson plans.

~State Senator Andrew Jones