Mississippi’s first Ben Carson Reading Room is opening at Quitman Upper Elementary School.

    A grand opening ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. Monday at the school, located at 300 East Franklin Street in Quitman.

    The Quitman School District’s Imagination Library and The Phil Hardin Foundation are helping fund the reading room.  

    The Ben Carson Reading Project is an initiative of the Carson Scholars Fund. The Carson Scholars Fund was founded by world-renowned retired pediatric neurosurgeon and New York Times bestselling author Dr. Ben Carson and his wife, Candy.  

    The purpose of the Ben Carson Reading Project is to create a literacy enriched environment for children to develop their reading skills. The reading project is dedicated to promoting reading as a key to unlocking a child’s full potential.  

    Carson credits reading as being a catalyst to his success. “When I was a child, reading allowed me to discover all the opportunities that the world has to offer,” Carson said. “There are endless possibilities for students when they discover the joy of reading and learning. If children begin to challenge themselves to soak up all the information they can, they will certainly be able to reach their goals and achieve their dreams.”

    The Ben Carson Reading Room, at Quitman Upper Elementary, is designed to encourage students to discover the pleasure found in books and to recognize the true power of learning. With more than 800 books from a variety of authors, topics and genres, Quitman Upper Elementary students have the opportunity to explore new worlds and discover things that will pique their curiosity.

    “We are delighted to have the first Ben Carson Reading Room in Mississippi,” Quitman School District Superintendent Dr. Suzanne Hawley said. “The administration and staff at Quitman Upper Elementary have been focusing on providing interesting and innovative ways to help our students learn to love reading. With its reading loft, bean bag chairs, colorful art work, and books lining the walls, the reading room will provide an exciting destination for the enjoyment of reading,”

    There are 110 Ben Carson Reading Rooms in the U.S. that serve students in 14 states and Washington D.C.