The Ben Carson Reading Project, the second initiative of the Carson Scholars Fund, draws inspiration from Dr. Ben Carson’s childhood struggle with academics. As a young student, Dr. Carson and his brother were required by their mother to read two books per week from the Detroit Public Library and submit written reports. This experience opened Dr. Carson’s eyes to the transformative power of books and played a crucial role in his later success. Driven by this personal journey, Dr. Carson and his wife, Candy, have dedicated themselves to creating literacy-enriched environments through the Ben Carson Reading Project. This initiative supports schools by funding and establishing Ben Carson/Think Big reading rooms. These rooms are not only filled with hundreds of books across diverse genres and topics but are also decorated with eye-catching artwork reflecting Dr. Carson’s THINK BIG philosophy. The goal is to create inviting spaces where children feel safe and motivated to develop their reading skills early in life. Through the generosity of sponsors, schools are able to provide a space for children to freely select books that spark their imagination, cultivating enjoyment and confidence in their reading choices.
The first Ben Carson Reading Room was established in 2000 at Hall’s Cross Roads Elementary School in Aberdeen, Maryland. Since that time, the Carson Scholars Fund has established over 285 Reading Rooms in 23 states and Washington, D.C. Reading Rooms can be found in schools in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. To visit some of our Reading Rooms, view our locations.
