Through the generosity of John Henry Kendall, the Carson Scholars Fund is pleased to announce the opening of Arizona’s first Ben Carson Reading Room at Patagonia Montessori Elementary School. The grand opening ceremony and ribbon cutting took place on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016 at 10am. Kendall is the grandson of John Henry Cady, an early Arizona pioneer, soldier, and builder of the Patagonia Hotel (that now houses the Patagonia Public Library).
Kendall, who has helped support other Patagonia institutions, traveled from his home in California to attend the opening day ceremony. There were presentations by all of the Montessori students as well as motivational speeches from Kendall and Santa Cruz County Superintendent Alfredo Velásquez. After the ribbon cutting, guests enjoyed tours of the room.
The Ben Carson Reading Project is an initiative of the Carson Scholars Fund that was founded by retired world renowned pediatric neurosurgeon and best-selling author, Dr. Ben Carson, and his wife Candy. The reading project is dedicated to promoting reading as a key to unlocking a child’s full potential.
“Reading is such a fundamental part of learning,” said Jessi Beebe, principal of Patagonia Montessori Elementary School. “We feel so very honored to be opening our own Ben Carson Reading Room. The Montessori philosophy of providing a prepared environment
and instilling a joy of learning in every student lines up nicely with the reading room project and the vision of Dr. Ben Carson. Our students are excited to have a beautiful, comfortable place to open a book and explore.”
There are over 160 Ben Carson Reading Rooms across the country and this is the second to be sponsored by Kendall. “Reading was a poor boy’s access to knowledge and understanding. It seemed to prepare me for taking advantage of the opportunities that would come into my life. I’m delighted to make this resource available to the Patagonia Montessori Elementary School students,” said Kendall in his dedication speech.
To learn more about the Carson Scholars Fund, visit www.carsonscholars.org