PHOENIX – The Final Four reading contest ranks schools against each other in a March Madness style bracket, comparing how many minutes they’ve read for a chance to win money for literary programs.

The contest is held in the host city of the Men’s and Women’s Final Four each year, making its way to Phoenix in preparation for the 2026 NCAA Division I Women’s Final Four this spring.

Nearly 12,000 third graders will participate in the ‘regular season’ challenge presented by Helios Education, with 68 school teams selected in December to move on into the bracket section. Each school will be ranked based on the number of pages read each week, with 4 winners.

The top school will receive $5,000 for literary programs, with 3 runners-up receiving $2,500.

Jen Barnett, the Head of Social Responsibi

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