CONTACT: Kathleen Johnson-HodgeCollege Director of Community & Public Relations Northeast Lakeview College210-590-5470 kjohnson-hodge@mail.accd.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(San Antonio, TX – November 16, 2007) Northeast Lakeview College has received a matching funds grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to participate in the national Big Read program. Together with its primary partners [Judson Independent School District, Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union, Randolph Metrocom Chamber of Commerce] Northeast Lakeview College will bring northeast Bexar county and its surrounding communities together to read and celebrate the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

As the newest community college in the nation, the NEA award is Northeast Lakeview College’s first federally –funded grant award. Northeast Lakeview College is one of 127 organizations nationwide selected by the NEA to participate in the Big Read and bring together communities to enrich the reading experience.

Northeast Lakeview College will celebrate To Kill A Mockingbird from March 3, 2008 to April 15, 2008 with a full calendar of events. A kick-off event is planned for March 3 rd featuring Charles Shields, author of The New York Times Bestseller Mockingbird – A Portrait of Harper Lee. Other events include a movie screening, dramatic readings, panel presentations, community discussions, and a presentation by Mary Badham, who portrayed “Scout” in the movie of the same name. “We are delighted to bring the Big Read to the Randolph Metrocom area,” says Dr. Eric Reno, Northeast Lakeview College president. “Our participation, together with that of our primary partners, will revive the interest in reading in our community.” Since the program’s launch in 2006, the NEA has funded more than 300 Big Read programs in the nation’s towns and cities. Visit http://www.accd.edu/nlc/big_read_events.htm for a complete listing of confirmed events.

The official announcement and presentation of The Big Read for an Enlightened Community was held Thursday, November 15 at the Northeast Lakeview CollegeLibrary. For more information on the national program, visit http://www.neabigread.org/

The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) designed to restore reading into the center of American culture. The NEA presents the Big Read in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest. The Big Read brings together partners across the country to encourage reading for pleasure and enlightenment.