Michelle Obama, Dr. Jill Biden, Mark Kelly and LeVar Burton Host Story Time For Elementary Schoolers

LOS ANGELES, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ Service members and their families stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, one of the largest training bases for the U.S. Army, received a special visit today from The First Lady, Dr. Biden and Astronaut Mark Kelly. They were joined by lifelong literacy advocate LeVar Burton, the host of Reading Rainbow , for a story time event for students on-base at Thayer Elementary School. The event was part of the White House's Joining Forces initiative. Celebrating its 5 th anniversary, the initiative works to ensure that service members, veterans, and their families have the tools they need to succeed throughout their lives.

Experience the interactive Multimedia News Release here: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/74044512-reading-rainbow-skybrary-school

Burton, whose father was in the army and mother an English teacher said of the event, "I was truly honored to be asked to join the First Lady, Dr. Biden and Captain Kelly for the book reading to children of military families. I know from personal experience the sacrifices they and their families make every day on behalf of our nation." Burton also added that the event was especially important as it focused on reading. "Literacy is the gateway to children reaching their full potential as human beings."

Obama, Biden, Kelly and Burton read two books to the audience of students, teachers, and administrators: Burton's own The Rhino Who Swallowed A Storm and Kelly's Mousetronaut. After the event concluded, Burton's RRKIDZ, home of the beloved children's brand,Reading Rainbow,also donated a Skybrary School subscription for the entire Thayer Elementary School, as well as copies of all the books read that day for the Thayer library. RRKIDZ has already donated Skybrary School to more than 6000 classrooms in need and has plans to donate thousands more. Additionally, RRKIDZ will be working with Joining Forces to find additional avenues to support military families nationwide.

Skybrary School offers a rich multimedia resource filled with close to 1,000 fiction and non-fiction books, newly produced video field trips hosted by LeVar Burton, and standards aligned themed lesson plans developed by educational specialists.

For additional information on Skybrary School and Reading Rainbow, please visit www.ReadingRainbow.com.

And, to learn more about Joining Forces please visit www.whitehouse.gov/joiningforces.

About RRKidz, Inc. and Reading Rainbow
The multi-award-winning Reading Rainbow children's television series launched in 1983 to encourage kids to read, by bringing books into their living room.Over the next 26 years, actor/director LeVar Burton (also known for iconic TV roles as Kunta Kinteon"Roots"andGeordi La Forge on"Star Trek: The Next Generation) hosted all 155 episodes, inspired millions of people to love reading, and dedicated his life to promoting literacy and the love of learning in children everywhere.

In 2012, RRKidz, Inc. reimagined the iconic brand for today's digital families and launched the enormously successful Skybrary Family digital service. RRKidz, Inc. has since launched other enriching products for children and their parents, including LeVar's first children's book, The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm. The mission of RRKidz, Inc. is to instill a passion for learning in children. Reading Rainbow and its logo are registered trademarks of Western New York Public Broadcasting Association (WNED-Buffalo) and used with permission. 2016 RRKidz, Inc.

About Joining Forces
In 2011, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden came together to launch Joining Forces, a nationwide initiative calling all Americans to rally around service members, veterans, and their families and support them through wellness, education, and employment opportunities. Joining Forces works hand in hand with the public and private sector to ensure that service members, veterans, and their families have the tools they need to succeed throughout their lives.

SOURCE Reading Rainbow