Fulton County Schools announced on May 21 that students exceeded the goal of reading 10 million minutes, logging a total of 11,126,597 minutes during the recent school year. The achievement was part of the district’s 10-Million Minute Reading Challenge, an initiative aimed at boosting literacy among students from kindergarten through twelfth grade.
The program encouraged participation across schools and grades to foster a love for reading rather than focusing solely on test scores. Sadeqwa Simmons, Media and Educational Technology Instructor Program Specialist for Fulton County Schools, said her goal was to help students “find joy in reading.” Simmons called the accomplishment a testament to the “creativity, consistency, and commitment” of METIs (Media and Educational Technology Instructors), teachers, and students.
Students tracked their reading using Beanstack, an educational app that allowed them to log minutes read and earn badges or prizes. The enthusiastic response led to creative incentives at individual schools. At Heards Ferry Elementary School, principal and assistant principals dressed as leprechauns and danced during morning drop-off after students met a monthly goal. Sarah Severson, METI at Heards Ferry Elementary School said: “They were working together toward a common goal… The students were actively engaged. Reading felt exciting, rewarding, and community driven.”
Other schools found unique ways to motivate participation. Cambridge High School used an arcade claw machine filled with prizes; Palmetto Elementary School rewarded participants with water balloon tosses at staff; The Promise Career Institute held a “Sweetheart Reading Challenge” with Chick-fil-A as a prize for top readers.
Webb Bridge Middle School (WBMS) took part in global outreach by sending flocks of chicks through Heifer International as part of their reward system. Principal Julie Morris said she is “incredibly proud” of how parents, teachers, and METIs contributed: “[They] play an essential role in shaping students’ literacy journeys.” WBMS METI Nan Trowell Brown noted her students “fully embraced” both local goals—earning fun rewards like seeing administrators perform the Chicken Dance—and broader humanitarian efforts.
WBMS logged more than one million minutes—the most among all participating schools—and celebrated with Silly String festivities involving Superintendent Dr. Mike Looney.
