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FIVE BEN CARSON READING ROOMS TO OPEN IN DENVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS COURTESY OF THE RICHARD LUMSDEN FOUNDATION

DENVER, October 14, 2011 – The Carson Scholars Fund and the Denver Public Schools Foundation are pleased to announce the opening of Ben Carson Reading Rooms at five local Denver Public Schools: Amesse, Colfax Munroe, Samuels and Swansea. The opening ceremony will take place on Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at 10:00 am at Samuels Elementary School, 3985 South Vincennes Court, Denver 80237. To celebrate the occasion, Dr. Ben Carson will personally address the schools live via video conference. Carson Scholars Fund Co-Founder Mrs. Candy Carson, family members and guests of the Richard Lumsden Foundation, and DPS and community representatives will attend the ceremony.

The Ben Carson Reading Project is one of the educational programs implemented by the Carson Scholars Fund. Ben Carson Reading Rooms are designed to encourage young students and their families to discover the pleasure found in independent leisure reading and to recognize the true power of learning. Dr. Benjamin Carson credits reading as the catalyst for his success and hopes to share this message with children throughout the country.

“We know that grade-level literacy is a key to long-term student achievement,” said DPS Superintendent Tom Boasberg. “The Carson Reading Rooms at five DPS schools will provide tremendous opportunity for our student to embrace reading and refine the skills that will help them succeed in all aspects of their education.”

“The addition of a Carson Reading Room to our school affords us the opportunity to engage all of our students in the wonders of reading,” said Samuels Principal Mikel Royal. “Having a quiet and comfortable place free from distractions, where children can step into the pages of a mystery, a biography, an adventure, a fantasy, or another time and place in history is a tremendous gift to our school. The fact that Dr. Carson attributes so much of his success to his enjoyment and the benefits of reading sets an outstanding example for our students and staff as we venture into this exciting program together. We are very grateful for this honor.”

The Carson Scholars Fund is a nonprofit public charity founded in 1994 by world-renowned Johns Hopkins pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Benjamin Carson and his wife, Candy, to motivate and reward academic excellence in young people. Currently there are 58 Ben Carson Reading Rooms serving students in seven states.

For more information on the Carson Scholars Fund visit www.carsonscholars.org.

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Contact:
Denver Public Schools Foundation
Sarah Dixon
Director of Marketing & Communications
sdixon@dpsfoundation.org
720-423-3877