https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...-child-everywh


http://gizmodo.com/levar-burton-enli...ium=socialflow

Gee, no one has pledge this one yet:


Pledge $10,000 or more
The ULTIMATE STAR TREK "GEORDI'S VISOR" Package // You and a friend will be LeVar's personal guests for a PRIVATE DINNER in Los Angeles, and you will get to wear the ONE-AND-ONLY ORIGINAL VISOR that LeVar wore in ST:TNG. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

I might donate money to this. I really didn't like educational shows as a kid, preferring cartoon action like Transformers and GI Joe, but for some reason I really liked Reading Rainbow. I always was trying to find the books that appeared on the show.

I threw in 5 bucks. Loved the show as a kid. Good dude and a good cause.

LeVar seems like a really good guy. I was a tad too old to enjoy R.R. when I stumbled upon it in the early-'90s, but I liked the theme song and pro-literacy philosophy.

I too was too old for the show, but I do remember seeing it when channel surfing. Its a great program and a neat idea to adapt it to the way kids now receive media (ie tablets, etc) as well as putting it into classrooms for teachers to use.

I got an email, because I marked it to watch, last night or early this morning that they reached the funding goal.

While I think this is a great idea, my biggest issue with LeVar asking fans/the public for donations is that he could pretty much fund this whole thing himself via the residuals he gets from TNG every year (which I believe are in perpetuity, unlike the original cast).

On top of that, LeVar charges like $40 per autograph at all his public appearances...so why not use some of that money, Mr. Burton?

I mean, it's not like LeVar is a struggling actor - he's still doing TV shows, directing, and runs his own production company. He could easily make this happen without outside funding.

I work at a TV station and one of my co-workers just asked if we could show "Reading Rainbow" and I had no idea where that question came from, but now I know. She gave money to this already.

I know you're right, but this story that warms my heart; that Reading Rainbow is clearly remembered fondly by so many people and considered of value for children, that they instantly funded it.

I loved the show, but I just want all the old episodes on Netflix.

Yes, they funded what's going to be a for-profit business:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/t...w-kickstarter/

After reading the article I was going to make a lengthy post but after reading the comments section over there I saw someone already made a much more concise response that shares my sentiments:

Nothing against the RR cause, but Levar Burton kind of confused me with a reading PSA that's been on for the last couple of years (maybe longer). He talked about his love for reading, and the first book he remembers reading ("Captains Courageous"), and he says something like "You know, when I'm really enjoying a book, I'll skip ahead and read the last page, because when a book is really well written, it'll have a great ending." And I'm thinking WTF?! How many kids are going to skip to the last page, find out how the book ends, and then stop reading it? I'm not condemning it as a personal habit for LB, but it seems counter-productive as part of an effort to encourage kids to read books.

Publicy

It's not like he hasn't put his own money into it. After all, he bought the rights and funded the development of the application. I appreciate his work on Reading Rainbow from my own childhood that he could spend every last dime I gave to the kickstarter on hookers and blow and I wouldn't care.

What a horrible thing it would be if someone made money by teaching children a love of reading!

I did not read the article, but I decided on not donating simply based on the rewards. They were obviously starting a subscription model service, charging schools and parents alike, and not even letting those throwing in startup costs have a free or greatly discounted subscription once it got off the ground ... felt pretty cheap to me.

1 Mill. goal currently sitting at 3.8 million ... that's a bit impressive

*noticed they added dvd add-ons including the "Complete" Series (152 of 155 episodes) but they want you to pledge $750 to get the series ... that's way out of the range of what I'd pledge on KS but it'd still be nice to have ..........