The Ben Carson Reading Project is the second initiative of the Carson Scholars Fund. The primary purpose of the program is to provide funding and support to local schools so that they can create a literacy-enriched, nurturing environment for children to feel safe and secure as they develop their reading skills. The Reading Project is dedicated to combating illiteracy and promoting leisure reading as a key to unlocking a child’s potential. Each room is filled with hundreds of books for students to explore from a variety of authors, topics, and genres. The Reading Room is decorated with attractive, eye-catching artwork based on Dr. Carson’s THINK BIG philosophy. The cozy environment encourages students and their families to come together to recognize the importance of reading.
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 250 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.