How One Teacher Is Bringing the Joy of Reading to Hundreds of Students

On December 2nd, GivingTuesday, Crayons to Classrooms hosted its fourth annual Book Give Back event. Although almost every school served by the teacher resource center was closed for the snow day, 156 teachers drove through the cold to attend this special event.

One of those teachers was Beth Mitchell, an English teacher at West Carrollton High. Beth braved the snow to fill her bag with 148 brand-new books; but she wasn’t shopping for her high school students. She was preparing to bring the magic of reading to hundreds of young students in her district.

For the last 14 years, the West Carrollton School District has hosted a district wide event to promote literacy in their district called “Arrgh You Ready to Read.” As the National Honor Society advisor, Beth enlists her high school students to share the joy of reading with younger learners across the district. Each May, NHS members visit more than 30 preK-2 classrooms, reading books they’ve carefully selected and leading fun literacy activities. The event is full of excitement and learning, making the high school students feel like celebrities while sparking a lifelong love of reading in the youngest learners.

At the end of the event, the young students pick out their very own book to keep. Beth shared that through this literacy event, “the NHS members learn what it is like to be a teacher. We currently have several teachers who have chosen their profession from this activity. Literacy is so important. For young learners, having high school students come to your classroom is magical, and being able to take home a book that you have chosen is priceless!” Hundreds of books are needed for this special event, and Crayons to Classrooms is proud to help Beth ensure that 148 students each leave with a book of their very own.

The goal behind Crayons to Classrooms’ Book Give Back event is to provide free books for teachers to use to stock their classroom libraries and gift to students in need. In total, the teacher resource center gave away 9,426 books at the Book Give Back event, helping thousands of children across the Miami Valley experience the joy of reading and owning a book. This year’s event was made possible thanks to the generous support of PNC Bank, who provided funding and volunteers, and East Street Insurance, who sponsored the shopping bags, ensuring every teacher and student had a memorable experience.

If you are interested in donating new books for next year’s Book Give Back event, email Dave at d.hargrove@crayonstoclassrooms.org.

If you are interested in becoming an event or bag sponsor for Crayons to Classrooms, email Amy at a.kopp@crayonstoclassrooms.org.