NORFOLK, Va., Sept. 23, 2023 – The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) has once again partnered with the City of Norfolk, TowneBank and Norfolk Public Schools for the annual Read with MEac community reading program.
 
The Read with MEac program, now in its 16th year, was created by the MEAC’s Senior Woman Administrators (SWA) to promote the love of reading. Read with MEac encourages Norfolk Public School elementary and middle school students to read and participate in activities through the Star Data Reading online program.
 
“The MEAC is again able to partner with the Norfolk Public School system, the City of Norfolk and TowneBank on the Read with MEac reading program, an important pillar of the MEAC’s commitment to the Norfolk community,” MEAC Commissioner Sonja Stills said. “Read With MEac is a program that best exemplifies the MEAC’s commitment to academic excellence, and I would like to thank Dr. [Sharon I.] Byrdsong for her progressive leadership, support and encouragement in getting Norfolk Public Schools students to read more.”
 
This year’s program will once again focus on elementary and middle school students from participating Norfolk Public Schools. Participants’ reading progress will be assessed based on the greatest scaled score gains on the Star Data Reading online system from Sept. 23 to Feb. 9, 2024 to determine the winners.
 
Winners will be announced in a press release from the MEAC office in late February. There will also be a celebration on-site at the winning school on Tuesday, March 12, 2024.
 
“The students and staff of Norfolk Public Schools are eager to once again partner with the MEAC for this exciting annual reading contest,” said Superintendent Dr. Sharon I. Byrdsong. “Our educators work to inspire our students to have a deep love for reading, and this contest helps us to support that mission with praise and celebration of their success as well as exposure to the extraordinary college programs of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. All of us in Norfolk Public Schools are confident that our students will find inspiration in the pages of a book and through their MEAC student role models.”  Further, she said, “I know the competition for the highest gains will be especially hard fought amongst our schools this year!”
 
The schools from the selected Norfolk Public Schools with the greatest scaled score gains could win the following prizes: $2,000 for first place, $1,500 for second place, and $500 for third place. The class with the greatest scaled score gains will win $1,000.
 
 
About the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) is in its 53^rd year of intercollegiate competition with the 2023-24 academic school year. Located in Norfolk, Va., the MEAC is made up of eight outstanding historically Black institutions across the Atlantic coastline: Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina Central University and South Carolina State University.