Crayons to Classrooms (C2C) hosted their second annual Book Give Back on November 28th. Amidst balloons, homemade book-themed cookies, and tables full of books, 149 teachers took 13,392 books back to their classrooms and students. Teachers filled their bags, some completely overflowing with books!
Many local teachers and students have limited access to books and educational materials. Almost 2/3 of low-income families do not own any children’s books (US Department of Education). Families are focused on providing food and clothing around the holidays and literacy materials don’t always make the budget. When a student then enters the classroom without the tools necessary to participate and succeed, the teacher often steps in and reaches into their own pocket to fill that need. The Book Give Back event put over $53,500 worth of books into Miami Valley classrooms and into the hands of students who would not otherwise have access to their own books.
“After some time, books get worn out from use, and replacing them can get to be very expensive when you budget for your class library comes from your own money,” shared Ms. Gough, Middle School English Teacher at Mother Brunner. “The ability to have new copies of books with characters that my students can relate to is encouraging for them to read more!”
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