The Million Word Challenge is a community-wide literacy campaign promoting a culture of literacy at home and academic achievement at school. This initiative challenges students, preschool through 12 th grade, to read MILLIONS of WORDS outside of the classroom, while helping to connect families and schools together around the joy of reading beyond the bell. The campaign was created by the LAUSD-Local District 5 in 2003 and is currently carried out in schools throughout Los Angeles County. The 2009-2010 Million Word Challenge is an initiative of Families In Schools in partnership with the City of Los Angeles, First 5 LA, the Los Angeles County Office of Education, and the Los Angeles Unified School District with generous support from La Opinion, the Pearson Foundation, and Target. Also, the Million Word Challenge has enlisted the support of civic officials, education leaders, and celebrities across the county.

The ground-breaking campaign launches in November 2009 with a dynamic event that brings public attention to the literacy challenge. The launch event can be viewed by webcast on 9:00 am on November 19, 2009 by visiting www.millionwordchallenge.org/live/launchevent.html Schools throughout Los Angeles County are invited to register at www.millionwordchallenge.org/register.php from November 1 – December 15, 2009. After registering, school staff have access to an on-line campaign handbook containing activities and handouts that support creative literacy events at their sites. In May 2010, as the contest at each school draws to the end, one student is selected as the winner of their school's Million Word Challenge. In addition to being honored on their campus by their school, each student winner receives a $50 gift certificate to purchase books at the Feria del Libro: A Family Book Fair, which takes place on June 5, 2010 on the grounds of Los Angeles City Hall.