FOLSOM, CA - The Shakespeare Academy at Empire Oaks Elementary School wrapped up their production of The Tempest with a packed house at the Three Stages theater in Folsom.

Performing on a professional stage was a thrill for the young actors who have spent the last seven months in exhilarating and exhausting rehearsals.

Academy founder and retired teacher Barbara Harris was looking for a new way to bring the arts into education 15 years ago and heard about the Shakespeare academy model in the UK.

"When you want to do something, you pick the best," Harris said. "When you make, a dress you pick the best material. You want to expose them to the best things and I thought, 'What's better than Shakespeare?'"

News10 has launched a major initiative called 'Reading Connects.' Its purpose is to help build a stronger community, one reader at a time.

Fact: 37% of third graders in Sacramento read at grade level. 74% of those students will never catch up.

News10 is teaming up with parents, businesses, schools, libraries and volunteers to improve the literacy rate in our area. We are combining the power of television, the web, and social media with the power of good people who want to make a difference.

Reading is one of the keys to a successful and productive life.

A minor investment of your time can change the path of a child's life.

We are here to help with information, resources and opportunities- for you to help build a better community.

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