Usha Vance launches White House reading prize

Second Lady Usha Vance has opened the White House’s 2026 Summer Reading Challenge, a national program for children entering kindergarten through eighth grade this fall. The program asks students to read 12 books of their choice between June 1 and September 4 and submit a reading log through the White House website. Children who complete the challenge will receive a digital certificate, a personalized letter and an America 250-themed bookmark, according to the White House. Participants will also be entered for a chance to visit Washington and the White House with a chaperone. ### Who can enter, and what exactly do students have to do? The White House says the challenge is open to children entering kindergarten through eighth grade who reside at, or have, a USPS-verified address. Students are asked to choose any 12 books, track each title on an official reading log and have a parent or guardian submit the completed log online by 11:59 p.m. ET on September 4. (whitehouse.gov) Usha Vance told ABC News the format was meant to be simple and flexible. “All kids have to do is pick up 12 books, anything that they like,” she said, adding that children could choose books based on their own interests, including subjects such as history or even squirrels. ### What is the prize, and is it a guaranteed White House trip? (whitehouse.gov) The White House page says all participants who complete the challenge will receive a digital certificate, a personalized letter and an America 250-themed bookmark. It also says finishers will get a special link to choose an additional prize from a prize website. The White House visit is not guaranteed for every participant. (abcnews.com) The White House says children who complete the challenge will be entered for a chance to win a trip to the nation’s capital and the White House with a chaperone, and lists the visit date as September 25, 2026. ABC News similarly reported that children would be entered into a raffle to visit the White House. ### How does this year’s program differ from last year’s? (whitehouse.gov) Vance told ABC News the 2026 edition is the second year of the challenge and follows what she described as a smaller trial run in 2025. “Last year it was an idea that we had really at the last minute,” she said, adding that the pilot “was a success beyond what we had hoped.” (whitehouse.gov) The Institute of Museum and Library Services, which backed the 2025 version, described last year’s challenge as open to grades K-8, with the same 12-book target and a raffle entry tied to a visit to the nation’s capital. The White House site for 2026 says this year’s program includes partnerships with schools, libraries and other institutions, according to Vance’s ABC interview. (abcnews.com) ### Why is the White House tying the challenge to America 250? The White House page says the challenge is being held “as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of America’s founding.” The completion prize package includes an America 250-themed bookmark, linking the program to the broader anniversary observances now underway across federal institutions. ABC News reported that Vance described the reading challenge as part of an effort to enhance childhood literacy and limit summer learning loss while school is out. (imls.gov) ### Where do families go next? The submission site is the White House reading page, where families can download the official reading log and submit completed entries. (whitehouse.gov) The deadline listed by the White House is September 4, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET, and the White House trip for selected participants is scheduled for September 25, 2026. (abcnews.com)