Special Events
Read Captions Across America™
We invite you to join us in the nation's largest reading event by taking part in Read Captions Across America™(RCAA)! Read Across America was first established by the National Education Association (NEA) to direct the country's attention to the importance of motivating children to read and helping them master basic reading skills. The DCMP's RCAA celebration was launched in 2006 after partnering with the NEA's Read Across America event.
RCAA is the first national reading event to put emphasis on the importance of captioned media (e.g., broadcast, Internet, DVD, CD-ROM) as a reading tool for all children, not just those who are deaf or hard of hearing. This effort resulted in a huge success, as thousands of students have participated in this event since its inauguration in 2006.
RCAA is a yearlong celebration, yet many events are typically celebrated on or near Read Across America Day (March 2) each year. To support those who wish to take part, the DCMP is providing a number of resources to help you plan your participation in RCAA. The links below will provide teachers, parents, librarians, and other event coordinators with everything they may need:
For additional information about Read Captions Across America™ and how you can participate, please contact the DCMP Communications Services Specialist.
Future Events
March 3, 2008 — Read Captions Across America™ for Read Across America Day
We invite you to join us in our yearlong celebration of reading! Read Captions Across America™ is a national reading event with an emphasis on the importance of captioned media as a reading tool for children whether they are deaf, hard of hearing, or hearing. Events and activities will take place nationwide on Read Across America Day (March 3, 2008) and throughout the week before and after this special day. Join us along with thousands of other students, teachers, parents, school personnel, and librarians in our nationwide celebration of reading and learning through captioned media.
Check back for upcoming events! If you have an idea for an event that the DCMP may participate in, please feel free to Contact Us.
Past Events
March 2, 2007 — Read Captions Across America™ for Read Across America Day
The DCMP organized Read Captions Across America™ (RCAA) events nationwide, most of which were held on the week of March 2. This year, the DCMP built upon what was established in the launching of RCAA in 2006 by not only asking past participants to celebrate RCAA, but also encouraging others to join in the event this year as well. Furthermore, the availability of DCMP titles on DVD and through Internet streaming has increased from 2006–2007, which has positively impacted both school-wide RCAA events as well as individual classroom RCAA activities. The DCMP will continue to expand RCAA in years to come as we also continue to build and revise our library to provide the best collection of accessible educational media in the country!
September 23-30, 2006 — Deaf Awareness Week Screenings of "Give Me a Little Sign"
The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) and the Captioned Media Program (CMP) collaborated with Scholastic Media and PBS to help raise deaf awareness throughout National Deaf Awareness Week (September 24–30, 2006) by promoting a groundbreaking episode of the award-winning children's television program Maya and Miguel
and hosting screenings across the country of this captioned episode.
The episode "Give Me a Little Sign" features a deaf character, Marco, who has been mainstreamed into the local public school and uses sign language to communicate. As a result of the CMP's involvement and influence in this collaboration, the premiere of this episode was broadcast nationwide on September 25 with open captions.
March 2, 2006 — Launch of Read Captions Across America™
The Captioned Media Program (now the Described and Captioned Media Program) launched the first nationwide Read Captions Across America™ (RCAA) on the week of March 2, 2006. This event is the result of a partnership that formed between the CMP and the National Education Association's (NEA) Read Across America in 2005. The first RCAA was successful in introducing the captioned media provided by the CMP as an educational tool for teachers of students who are deaf and hard of hearing. In addition to celebrating this event in March event, the CMP worked to establish Read Captions Across America™ as both a yearlong activity as well as an annual event with the NEA's Read Across America Day. The result since has been extraordinary with participation of thousands of students, school personnel, libraries, and families across the U.S.