Just a little over week since the launch of his crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, LeVar Burton’s “Bring Reading Rainbow Back for Every Child, Everywhere” project has surpassed its original $1M goal and is now seeking $5M. Not only has it continued to be successful, the campaign has managed to land on Kickstarter’s Top Ten Most Funded Campaigns Ever list.
As previously reported on Crowdfund Insider, the former host of the show urged fans to help with the campaign.
“I am hoping you will join in my mission to bring ‘Reading Rainbow’ back for every child, everywhere. Together, we can change the lives of millions of children. But you don’t have to take my word for it: just keep reading!”
“I believe that every child has a right, and a need, to be literate. We have a responsibility to prepare our children… and right now, the numbers hsow that we, as a society, are failing in that responsiblility. And here is the problem: Right now, 1 out of every 4 children in America will grow up illiterate and numerous studies reveal that children who can’t read at grade level by the fourth grade are 400% more likely to drop out of high school.”
“As of 2011, America was the only free-market country where the current generation are less well-educated than the previous.”
The campaign’s goals are to transition “Reading Rainbow” from the app; create a program that educators will be able to use in the classes; and to fund a non-profit initiative that will put “Reading Rainbow” into low-income schools for free.
Noting the reason why he turned to the crowdfunding giant, Mr. Burton said,
“Over the past year, I have watch Kickstarter bring communities together to support artists and inventors. Again and again, I have been inspired by watching like-minded people team up to accomplish impossible dreams, and to change the world.”
“Reading Rainbow” was a PBS children’s series that started in 1983 and ended 2009. Later that year, Mr. Burton launched the “Reading Rainbow” app for tablets. This app helps build on the basics of the television and puts hundreds of quality books and educational video field trips right in a child’s hand. The main problem, not every child is able to access a tablet. Now Mr. Burton is seeking to bring his app to children everywhere.
With over three weeks to go, Mr. Burton’s campaign has raised $3,530,960 from 77,933 backers.
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