(Marietta, GA – October 17, 2022) Created to encourage students’ love of reading and creative writing, Cobb EMC and Gas South are proud to continue Literacy Week this year from October 24^th through the 28th. The program plans to reach students through in-person events at approximately 50 schools in the Atlanta metro area. More than 25,000 students interacted with authors last year.

“Literacy supports STEM [science, technology, engineering, and mathematics], and reading is crucial to a successful education,” said Mark Justice, Director of Education and Community Relations at Cobb EMC. “Literacy Week promotes lifelong reading habits and is designed to inspire thousands of local students in our five-county service area.”

Now in its 12^th year, Literacy Week has impacted more than 185,000 students in schools throughout Cobb, Paulding, Cherokee, Bartow, and Fulton counties. Gas South, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cobb EMC, joined the program in 2015 as a co-sponsor. New York Times Best Selling Authors Brian Lies, Carmen Agra Deedy, and Jennifer A. Nielsen all participated in the Literacy Week program. Lies has been a part of the program since its inception.

“Cobb EMC is such a strong supporter of education in the communities we both serve,” said Carley Stephens, Manager of Community Affairs at Gas South. “We believe that communities can only be well when children and families thrive. Education plays a huge part, so it makes sense to combine resources and collaborate on Literacy Week to bring this initiative to as many students as possible.”

Literacy Week is held each year during the last week of October and is scheduled to include 15 authors that will share their books and illustrations with students. The program is offered to students from kindergarten through 12^th grade. To learn more about the community programs at Cobb EMC and Gas South, visit CobbEMC.com/schools and GasSouth.com/giving-back.