Announcing the Winners of the 2026 Star Donation Challenge

Students Donate Stars to Help Shine a Light for Literacy Around the World

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This spring, students embarked on a journey to not only expand their knowledge, but also to extend a helping hand to those in need. By reading books and completing activities in the student portal of our literacy solutions, students earn stars they can choose to donate toward providing books, filling school libraries, or funding teacher training around the world. After stars are donated, a monetary donation is made on behalf of participating students to support Room to Read, a global education nonprofit organization that helps children develop foundational literacy skills.

Through this challenge, students demonstrate the incredible impact that a collective effort can have on the lives of others. Congratulations to all the amazing students, classrooms, and teachers who participated in the 2026 Star Donation Challenge!

Final Student Donations


125,095 donations, which translates to over eleven thousand books

49,052 donations, which is enough to fill nine libraries with books

47,952 donations, which will successfully train four teachers in other countries

It’s Pizza Party Time

Congratulations to the top-donating classrooms in each of the 50 U.S. states and D.C., as well as in five different countries. Your incredible achievements deserve to be celebrated, and what better way to do so than with a well-deserved class pizza party!

Celebrate Your Students

Whether or not your classroom earned a pizza party, your students’ participation is a testament to the positive change that can be achieved when we come together for a shared cause. Celebrate your students’ impact by printing and displaying their Certificates of Awesomeness and donation stars from the Donation Kit.

"On behalf of my 5th grade class, I want to thank you for running the Star Donation Challenge. My students were motivated to not only help others in need, but voluntarily read as much as they could on Raz-Kids to earn more stars to donate. In the process of demonstrating their concern for others less fortunate, they became better readers. They are truly proud to receive recognition for their efforts."

- Maureen McMorrow 5th Grade Teacher Hicksville Public Schools Hicksville, NY

Here Are the Spring 2026 Winning Classrooms

License Coordinators of winning classrooms will receive an email with details on how to redeem their pizza party award for their students.

United States Winners

West Region

Alaska

Mel Koontz

Hermon Hutchens Elementary School

California

Robert Schiefer
Glen Avon Elementary School

Colorado

Suzanne Wolf
Crest View Elementary School

Idaho

Gina Warren
Wilder Elementary School

Montana

Courtney Niemeyer
Eagle Cliffs Elementary School

Nevada

Caroline Perez
Sandy Searles Miller Magnet School

Oregon

Danielle Slezak
Hawks View Elementary School

Utah

Melena Pehar
Lincoln Elementary School

Washington

Bethany Lutheran
Bethany Lutheran School

Wyoming

Carlos Gonzalo
Verda James Elementary School

Southwest Region

Arizona

Julie Poulton
San Tan Elementary School

New Mexico

Marisela Antillon
Los Padillas Elementary School

Oklahoma

Jayme Martin
Miss Helens Private School

Texas

Syeda Ahmed
Harmony Science Academy - Sugar Land

Midwest Region

Illinois

Lizette Barona
Herzl Elementary School

Indiana

Cindi Langham
Covington Elementary School

Iowa

Megan Richardson
Bryant Elementary School

Kansas

Jessica Maupin
Beeson Elementary School

Michigan

Tanya Donahue
Traverse City West Middle School

Minnesota

Paola Patino-Johnson
Countryside Elementary School

Missouri

Michelle Mazzeffe
Kellybrook Elementary School

Nebraska

Karlena Roza
Edison Elementary

North Dakota

Erin Morris
Beulah Elementary School

Ohio

JT Harris
Galion Primary School

South Dakota

Oscar Hernandez
Rosa Parks Elementary School

Wisconsin

Gabrielle Strasser
ALCOTT SCHOOL

Northeast Region

Connecticut

Brandon Palma
Alfred W. Hanmer School

Delaware

Amy Yanoshak
Lake Forest Central Elementary Schoo

Maine

Martha Gamage
Burchard A Dunn School

Maryland

Candace Reyes
Truth Christian Academy

Massachusetts

Melissa Daye
Thomas Ditson Elementary School

New Hampshire

Heather Booska
Kenneth A Brett Elementary School

New Jersey

Genny Pena
06 Toussaint Louverture-Marquis De Lafayette

New York

MR SERIN6
Cool English Academy

Pennsylvania

Anna Dueker
Crestview Elementary School

Rhode Island

Lindsay Scott
Times 2 Academy

Vermont

Alyssa Lines
Thomas Fleming Elementary School

Southeast Region

Alabama

Caitlin McCoy
Daphne Elementary School

Arkansas

Robin Call
Genoa Central Elementary School

District of Columbia

Nicole Garza
Sacred Heart School

Florida

Susan Tedder
Saint Andrews Episcopal Academy

Georgia

Maggie Bailey
Fellowship Christian School

Kentucky

Lindsey Ackerman
Saint Martha School

Louisiana

Taylor Rodrigue
Max Charter School

Mississippi

Kerri Farmer
Poplarville Upper Elementary School

North Carolina

Morgan Johnson
Charlotte Latin School

South Carolina

Allison Meadows
Sandhills Primary School

Tennessee

Sheri Sather
Stone Elementary School

Virginia

Nadine Bradford
Ashland Elementary School

West Virginia

Lynne Coen
Teays Valley Christian School

International Winners

All International Winners

India

Aparna Khedkar
DPS Lava Nagpur

China

Hangzhou Greentown Yuhua Primary School

Saudi Arabia

Riyadh Schools

Vietnam

SIS Binh Duong New City

Mexico

Colegio Cambridge