GUSTINE — The Gustine Traveling Library is rolling out a new literacy campaign aimed at placing positive reading messages in front of children, families and community members across Stanislaus County.

The campaign, called R.E.A.D. — short for Read. Explore. Achieve. Dream. — will feature free posters highlighting community leaders, educators, authors and other local figures who support reading and education. The posters are expected to be printed in May and displayed in schools, libraries, businesses and other public spaces beginning in June.

For founder and president Zachery Ramos, the project is designed to make literacy more visible and more personal for young readers. “This campaign is about showing kids and families that reading is for everyone,” Ramos said. “I wanted my team and I to keep finding different ways to rally behind student achievement. R.E.A.D. is one of those ways we can help remind kids that their education matters and that the whole community is cheering them on.”

The Gustine Traveling Library, founded in 2017, is funding the campaign. The organization has distributed free books for years and continues to expand its outreach. Additional posters are already in development and will feature individuals from a range of fields, including a county CEO, an Assembly member, a local journalist and a Folklórico dance teacher.

Jose Flores, vice president of the organization, said the posters are meant to show students that reading connects to many parts of life. “Reading is connected to leadership, culture, public service, art, business and so many other parts of life,” Flores said. “When kids see different people from different backgrounds supporting literacy, it helps them understand that reading can be part of their own future too.”

Board member James Rubio said the campaign is another way to keep books and education in front of young people. “Sometimes a simple poster can start a conversation,” Rubio said. “A child might see someone they recognize or look up to, and that can be the little push that gets them excited about reading.”

Gustine Councilman Mark Melville, who is featured in the campaign, said the project gives local leaders a chance to show youth that their education matters. “When leaders take part in something like this, it sends a message to our youth that we value their education,” Melville said. “Literacy is not just the responsibility of schools or libraries. It is something the whole community should stand behind.”

Rubio said the goal is to place the posters where families naturally gather — from classrooms to community centers. “At the heart of this campaign is the same reason we started the Gustine Traveling Library,” he said. “We want every child to know that books belong to them too, and that reading can help them dream bigger.”