Auburn men’s basketball team joins literacy campaign to benefit summer reading program

The Auburn Tigers will host the Coaching for Literacy's Fight for Literacy Games initiative when Mississippi State visits the Auburn Arena on Feb. 16.

The initiative brings coaches, players and fans together for a common cause to use the power of sports to raise awareness about the problem of illiteracy and raise funds for literacy programs nationwide.

The partnership with Auburn University, now in its third year, provides financial support to Auburn Youth Program’s summer reading program. Last year, the effort raised $9,000 through corporate sponsorships and fan pledges.

The summer reading program is offered online and in-person in over ten Alabama locations including Birmingham, Mobile, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa and Auburn. Since 2010, this program has helped students in these communities build strong reading skills and develop a love of books and reading. Over the course of the program, students enjoy weekly classes led by an experienced, dedicated teacher trained by the Institute of Reading Development. Students have access to interactive online lessons between classes and are assigned books to read independently outside of class. Courses for K-12 students and adults are available.

Fans can donate per assist during a four-game window from Feb. 16-27. To learn more, click here.

Auburn Youth Programs, offered through the Office of Professional and Continuing Education, or OPCE, is an extension of University Outreach that sponsors and executes a variety of summer programs designed to educate and inspire youth. To learn more about the Summer Reading Program, click here.