Ask any teacher or librarian, and they’ll tell you: keeping kids excited about reading outside of class isn’t always easy. In fact, many schools today are facing an “aliteracy crisis” — students who have the ability to read but often choose not to. The challenge isn’t skill, it’s motivation. But when reading becomes more than a required activity — when it connects to prizes, friendly competition and even global impact — students respond in surprising ways.

That’s where Read to Feed® comes in. By blending fun, motivation and purpose, the program helps students rediscover the joy of reading while making a difference for families around the world.

 

WHAT IS READ TO FEED?

Read to Feed is Heifer International’s unique reading program that empowers readers of all ages to make a positive impact on the world. Reading progress unlocks donations, which go directly to families in need. For educators, it’s a chance to motivate students in a meaningful way and show them that their reading truly matters.

MOTIVATION IN MARYLAND: STUDENTS LOG 100,000+ READING MINUTES

As a library media specialist at Notre Dame Preparatory School in Maryland, Elise Simons knows the struggle of keeping her students motivated. When she saw the Reed to Feed challenge in Beanstack, she thought it would be a great program to finish the school year and to use as a summer reading challenge.

She advertised the challenge as best she could during the hectic end-of-year rush, but she wasn’t sure if all the students were aware of the program. Despite her initial uncertainty, she came back to a grand total of 106,459 minutes logged.

“I couldn’t believe how many minutes were logged after we came back from summer break,” she said. “I’m very proud of our students.”

In her experience, the motivating factors varied by age, with middle school students being driven by the competition aspect and high school students vying for the prizes. Simons offered incentives such as bookmarks, stickers, bracelets and candy for badges earned.

Simons worried that incentives might distract a bit from the mission of Read to Feed, “but I was OK with that in the long run since as long as they were logging minutes, they were making a positive impact,” she said. “My middle level students especially loved the Reed to Feed buttons I was able to get from Heifer. It became a competition between friends to see who could collect them all.”

Buttons weren’t the only free resource Simons got from Heifer: she also ordered printable certificates, bookmarks and stickers to help reward and motivate her students.

“[These resources are] free, which is fantastic for teachers and librarians trying to make a difference on a budget,” she said.

For Simons, not only does the program help her students develop a lifelong love of reading, but it also aligns with her school’s mission to “empower girls to become women that transform the world.”

“I knew after looking into Heifer International and seeing what they were doing for families in need, especially in their support of women, this was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” Simons said.

Success stories like this show that students don’t just need the ability to read — they need a  reason to read. Read to Feed gives them that reason, connecting their reading to real-world impact for families around the globe.

 

THREE WAYS TO USE READ TO FEED

No two schools are the same, and Read to Feed was built with that in mind. Whether you’re looking for a tech-based option or a more traditional approach, the program is designed to be flexible — use it in whatever way works best for your students. This isn’t just a fun program … it’s a direct way to solve the motivation gap!

  • Read to Feed: Grades K–6
    • Free app available on Apple and Google Play Stores
    • Students unlock corporate-funded donations as they reach their goals
    • Reading content available within app
    • Quizzes and videos offer readers “eggstra” credit
  • Heifer Beanstack: Grades 6–12
    • Free web-based reading challenge site
    • No fundraising required
    • Readers track their own books and earn badges by meeting reading milestones
    • Heifer provides information about our mission
  • Original Program: All Ages
    • Low-tech/no-tech program that includes downloading or ordering resources and guides
    • Students set reading goals and ask family and friends for sponsorship pledges
    • Reading is recorded on a paper tracking sheet
    • Once goals are met, students collect pledges and pool their funds to select gifts for families in need

WHAT IS HEIFER INTERNATIONAL?

Heifer International is a global nonprofit dedicated to ending world hunger and poverty in a sustainable way. Since 1944, we have provided families with the resources, education and opportunity to thrive. Each page your students read will benefit a family in one of the 19 countries where we currently work.

However you choose to bring Read to Feed into your library, you’re empowering students to make a difference. If you’d like to connect in person, the Heifer International School Programs team will be at the 2025 AASL National Conference in St. Louis, October 16–18. We’d love to meet you and share more ideas for using Read to Feed. Come find us in the exhibit hall. You can also always reach out to us at readtofeed@heifer.org.