It is a first of its kind in the Rio Grande Valley; Mission Consolidated Independent School District (CISD) has launched a new literacy initiative that brings together the three communities it serves through the use of an online digital library. The initiative is called Mission CISD Reads.Through the strong support of the Mission CISD Board of Trustees, and the leaders of the cities of Alton, Mission, and Palmhurst, all residents in Mission CISD will have access to a unique online library of thousands of books through myON.
“This really takes our Read to Lead efforts forward by leaps and bounds,” said Dr. Ricardo López, superintendent of Mission CISD. “We are trying to close literacy gaps at a community level, not just in our students. One of the best ways to do that is to make it as easy as possible to get books in the hands of everyone.”
López said that through myON, residents can access a book anywhere they have a computer, tablet, or smartphone with data. “This gives new parents an opportunity to be able to share books with their children as soon as they are born and continue to share the love of reading stories as they grow,” he said. “MyON is easy to use, and extremely versatile. Books are available in Spanish and English, and for those who are still learning or struggling, the books lead the reader by providing a read-a-long type of presentation. The whole Mission CISD Reads effort could help redefine our culture.”
District officials say they are reaching out to local day care centers, Head Start, churches, businesses, Mission Regional Medical Center, etc. to help spread the word and to share how Mission CISD Reads can help struggling readers, while also providing a library for more advanced readers. Many organizations and businesses were represented at a special launch of Mission CISD Reads held at the Mission CEED this afternoon.
“The support of our communities and partners on this project is setting the stage to make a very positive change,” López said. “As we continue to work together on improving literacy and education in our communities, it will also help our region attract industries with higher salaries.”
Mission CISD elementary and junior high school students are asked to use their school logins to access myON.com. There is also an app for myON available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Residents in the Alton area ara asked to use the following to access myON,– school name: Alton Reads, username: alton, password: reads. All other Mission CISD residents will access myON using, school name: Mission CISD Reads, username: mission, password: reads.
López said the Mission CISD Reads project is a first for myON in the state of Texas and is unique in South Texas. “Over the coming days and weeks, we will continue to reach out to local churches, businesses, etc. to help spread the word about Mission CISD Reads, and to emphasize the benefits to readers and non-readers, alike. Now you don’t have to trek to the local library to check out a book for free. You can just login from any device with a data or internet connection.”