Teams in the ODP family have developed numerous programs to encourage young fans to succeed in the classroom. Our Camden, N.J. club recognizes more than 1,200 children each year for being the most improved student in their class. Each student is nominated by their teacher and receives a Riversharks certificate of improvement and a free ticket to a baseball game during which the students are honored on the field. The Riversharks also offer more than 10,000 discounted tickets to school students for "Baseball in Education" days that reward students for their hard work in class.

The "Read with the Barnstormers" program in Lancaster, Pa. has grown into an award-winning program serving some 65,000 students in three counties each year. The program challenges students to read four books in eight weeks and rewards students who complete the program with free tickets to a Barnstormers game and a change to participate in a special pre-game ceremony.

In 2007, the International Reading Association and the Lancaster-Lebanon Reading Council awarded the Read with the Barnstormers program the "Celebrate Literacy Award" for exemplary service in the promotion of literacy.

Our ODP franchise in York, Pa., teamed with the York County Literacy Council, in their "Buck-A-Book" program, rewarding area students for strengthening their reading skills. Children in 15 school districts and approximately 35 schools participate, with prizes that include tickets to Revolution baseball according to how many books each student reads.