Posts tagged community spotlight

Community Spotlight: Northport Elementary School

Nov16
2010 Written by Marie Madsen

Thank you note from a student

Northport Elementary School, a Title I School in Minnesota, has been a First Book Recipient Group for over 3 years. This October they hosted an event with the support of KPMG, providing brand new books for each child to take home.

Check out the below interview with Lori Wolfe, Basic Skills Coordinator and Instructional Coach on Northport Elementary, to learn more about the school and the impact of their recent event with KPMG.

How many children do you serve and what are their age ranges? We have approximately 600 students from the ages of 5 to 12 years old.

How many books have you received from First Book since you registered? Around 5,800 books

How did you learn about First Book? From a referral from another principal

How do you use First Book books? We use the books we receive through First Book for independent choice reading both at home and at school. This year we are going to have a fourth grade book club centering around the books the children are given.

Tell us about the major event KPMG held at your school in October. We had the most awesome event in October!  For this kick off of the 2010/2011 school year, we were fortunate enough to have Susan Flynn as a special guest for this reading. Susan is co-founder of KPMG’s Family for Literacy program that engages the entire KPMG community of employees, interns, alumni and families. The program is run in collaboration with First Book. Susan is also a member of the First Book Board of Directors.

Additionally, Erica S. Perl, an award-winning children’s book author, joined us for breakfast as well as an assembly that she led with 100 students from the 2nd grade. Erica’s new picture book, Dotty, was published in August 2010. A special thanks to Erica for traveling from Washington, D.C. to share this day with us.

How has KPMG made a difference on the children you serve? KPMG has made a HUGE difference in the lives of the children in our school.  Many of our students do not have any books of their own at home so six books a year “to keep” is so special to them. Many of them do not get to hear anyone other than their teacher read to them so they enjoy listening to the readers from KPMG.  It means a great deal to the students to have positive role models come in and take a part of their busy day to spend time with them and read.  What a great life lesson for our students!

Posted in Books & Reading, First Book Events, First Book Partners - Tagged ,

Community Spotlight: The C. Paul Phelps Correctional Center

Oct25
2010 Written by Becky H.

While First Book’s mission is to provide books to all programs serving children children from low-income families, including Title I Schools, Head Start centers, health clinics, after school programs and more; there are a few Recipient Groups whose dedication to literacy and the children they serve is truly inspiring.  The C. Paul Phelps Correctional Center in Louisiana is one of these Recipient Groups. Through their two literacy programs, Men Read and Read to Me Daddy, they have united offenders and their children through the power of literacy.  Check out the below interview with Jolene Constance, the face behind these incredible programs.

How long have you been a First Book Recipient Group? Since October, 2006

How many children do you serve and what are their age ranges? Approximately 3,352 from ages 0-15

How many books have you received from First Book since you registered? 47,793

Quotes from children, staff or parents?

“Too often people are led to believe that a prison is a dark and depressing place for visits.  The atmosphere on our first visit was one of welcome and kindness.  The book program was great!”

“This is one of the best programs.  It’s not only educational but it helps the children bond with their Dad.  It encourages my boys to want to come and visit regularly.”

“Children follow the examples of their fathers.  It is very rewarding to see fathers reading to and with their children- no matter what circumstances surround their lives.”

Can you provide a brief background on your two literacy programs, MR – Men Read, and Read to Me Daddy? While attending the North American Association of Wardens and Superintendents Fall Conference in September 2006, I attended the meeting “Silent Victims of Crime” which as a new Warden, had a profound effect on me.  I came home determined to make a difference in the lives of children of incarcerated parents.  That is when we began a new family literacy program here at our prison that improves the literacy of not only our offenders, but their visiting children as well.  We called it “MR-Men Read” and the rest is history.  We did, however, realize that after the hurricanes of Rita and Katrina in 2005 many of our offenders were going years without seeing their children.  Family bonding is a very crucial segment in preparing an offender for re-entry back into society.  We collaborated with Refined By Fire Ministries, under the leadership of Elaine Ellerbe, and began videotaping our offenders who had not had a visit in over a year with their children and who were going to be discharging within a twelve month period.  We video taped them reading a book to their child and sent the DVD and the book to the child.  It was a wonderful, meaningful success story.  Refined By Fire Ministries were no longer able to assist us with this program so we found funds to purchase our own equipment and have begun a similar program, named “Reading With Dad”.  We can now video tape our offenders more often, increasing the communication between Father and child regardless of logistical limitations.

How have these two programs impacted both the children you serve and their fathers? The preconception of a convicted felon is not one of a loving and caring father, yet in most cases the most tender aspect of a the offender is his love of his family.  Many of them know they have messed their lives up and caused needless anguish to their victims and their own families.  To have the opportunity to share a simple book in the basic form of communication- a Dad reading to his child- breaks all barriers.  A child does not see his offender Dad as a felon- he only sees him as his Daddy who is currently living away from them.  By allowing this natural sharing time via children’s books, whether it be by a physical visit, or by DVD, a bond is created between that child and their parent, instilling love and creating a love for reading and books.  Our offenders prepare for weekend visitation by reading the children’s books in literacy class the week before they have a visit, so they can read proficiently to their child. All visitation books are available in our offender library.  A secondary impact has been the loss of stigma in checking out children’s books.  It is now respected that you are preparing for your child’s visit.  This has truly been a win-win situation.

On your most challenging day, what motivates you to continue to make an impact on literacy and support children in need? The fact that these programs are GOOD keep me motivated.  As an Assistant Warden I deal with many more seemingly important issues, but when you realize you are helping offenders keep and create relationships that are many times very fragile in our environment, and you are instrumental in creating a love of reading, of books, and basic literacy, you see the value.  I’ve seen big men be so nervous about reading to their children, they have gotten literally sick.  These programs are very personal and meaningful in an otherwise non private environment.  Only the future knows just what a difference we are making through books.

Is there a favorite book among the offenders and their children? No, we are thankful for whatever offering of books we are blessed to receive.   Many times, the books we give out are the only home library books these children have access to.  They are very much appreciated by the children and their parents/caregivers.

What are you reading right now? Walking After Midnight by Katy Hutchison (True story of a woman’s journey through murder, justice and forgiveness.

Posted in Literacy - Tagged ,

Community Spotlight: Pi Beta Phi Members Retired and Volunteering

Sep27
2010 Written by Bonnie J.

This months group is an overseas program founded by a member of First Books long standing partner, Pi Beta Phi. This post features an individual that is volunteering abroad, and taking her passion for literacy to all corners of the world.

Kentucky Beta member Ann Enderly Walker’s family began a Christian-based nonprofit organization providing short-term medical and humanitarian care throughout the world. The organization, His Healing Hands, works to make a difference in the world to those caught in the vicious cycle of poverty and disease. “Medical backgrounds and a willingness to serve caused my husband and I to get involved,” Ann says. “I am a retired registered nurse, and my husband is a retired firefighter. We both feel very strongly about giving back to those less fortunate.”

Ann and her husband fell in love with volunteer service after their first trip to China. “The plight of the people we saw was unbelievable; yet their humility, joy for life and gratitude for the care we gave them convinced us that we were the lucky ones,” Ann says. “Although we touched their lives READ MORE »

Posted in First Book Partners, General - Tagged

Community Spotlight: The Shyann Kindness Project

Aug30
2010 Written by Bonnie J.

This Month’s Recipient Group: The Shyann Kindness Project.

“The mission of The Shyann Kindness Project is to pass on kindness by providing fun and needed items to children in stressful situations, while inspiring the performance of random acts of kindness and acceptance of others.” The Shyann Kindness Project has served over 8,000 children since April 2006, and is comprised of three programs: the Kindness Gift-Giving Program, Shyann’s Helping Hands, and Shyann’s Mentors Program. Kindness Gift Giving Events occur twice a month at venues such as hospital emergency rooms and clinics, homeless feeding programs, shelters for women and children, and after-school programs in low-income areas. During Kindness Gift-Giving Events, volunteers distribute Kindness Gift Packages to children that consist of toys, crafts, stuffed animals, and brand new books provided by First Book after an interactive talk about the importance of kindness and acceptance of all people. READ MORE »

Posted in Book Recipients, Books & Reading, General, Literacy - Tagged

Community Spotlight: FLASH Program at Owens Primary School

Jul21
2010 Written by Bonnie J.

This Month’s Recipient Group:

Families Learning At School and Home (FLASH) Program at Owens Primary School. The program’s mission is to engaged parents in learning along with their child to build literacy in the home. Since the programs inception in 2003, hundreds of parents have attended a 20-minute workshop each month with their kindergartner to review letter names, sounds, literacy skills, vocabulary, poems and stories that students will be focusing on in the classroom. This program provides take home kits, book/CD sets, videos, DVDs and learning games to families for home use. Throughout the project years, parental attendance at monthly class meetings continues to average 90%.

How long have you been a First Book Recipient Group?

Since 2005

How many children do you serve and what are their age ranges?

Approximately 150 kindergarteners, ages 4 and 5

How many books have you received from First Book since you registered?

Over 1,000 new books!

Tell us about a recent event you have held to promote reading.

First Book partnered with the Bakersfield dd’s DISCOUNTS customers to provide 150 kindergarteners with 6 books each. Manager Grace Prendez of the Bakersfield store, the guest reader for Mrs. Victor’s kindergarten class, read two books to her captive audience and promised that a big truck was bringing them an extra surprise later that morning: stuffed dinosaurs of the dd’s DISCOUNTS mascot Dino!

Quotes from students, teachers, parents:

“This award from dd’s DISCOUNTS and First Book provides our families with books to treasure, read and keep at home. We know that our students need books and yearn for books to own, not just to borrow”.

“Teachers and families are very grateful for this opportunity to own books. They look forward to inviting guest readers to read and distribute the books to our young students throughout the rest of the school year.” – Mrs. Joyce Victor, Kindergarten Teacher

Posted in Book Recipients, Books & Reading, First Book Events - Tagged ,

Community Spotlight: Pleasant Glade Elementary

Jun23
2010 Written by Shannon O.

This Month’s Recipient Group:

Pleasant Glade Elementary is a school wide title one program that targets children for their home visitor program. The program funds individuals who work with families nominated by teachers. These families tend to have children in lower grades and are somehow at risk. For instance, a home visitor will model how to read an age appropriate book with a child in a family with a second language using one of the age appropriate Spanish titles offered by the First Book Marketplace. Pleasant Glade Elementary also conducts a “club house”, which is an after school program held three nights a week, where children are given the opportunity to work with home visitors for extra reading help. Pleasant Glade Elementary has also used extra parent funds to purchase a number of books through the First Book Marketplace. They have purchased a wide variety of books, including Spanish titles.

How many children do you serve and what are their age ranges?

The home visitor program serves approximately 12 families a year. Books are READ MORE »

Posted in Advisory Boards, Book Recipients, Books & Reading, Marketplace - Tagged