Posts tagged teachers

One Million Books Available Now for Schools and Programs in States Affected by Hurricane Sandy

Apr15
2013 Leave a Comment Brian Minter Written by Brian Minter

One Million Books from First Book for Victims of Hurricane SandySince Hurricane Sandy struck the East Coast last fall, First Book has been working to help local schools, community programs and families rebuild their lost libraries.

Now, thanks to our friends at Random House, we have the resources to rebuild tens of thousands of home and classroom libraries: over one million brand-new, high-quality kid’s books.

We just need to get the word out.

Help us by sharing this blog post with anyone you know who works with children in need, and tell them to sign up with First Book today.

Recognizing the wide-ranging impact of this storm on many aspects of children’s lives, schools and programs do not have to have been physically damaged by the storm to apply for books. Any school or program that was affected by the storm or serves children in need in one of the 13 affected states is encouraged to sign up to receive books.

NOTE: The books are available to schools and programs in the 13 states designated by FEMA as being affected by Hurricane Sandy: Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, DC.

Posted in Book Distributions, Book Relief, First Book Partners - Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Share the Love! Books = Valentines

Feb14
2013 Brian Minter Written by Brian Minter

Share The Love!

Posted in Book Recipients, Books & Reading, Teachers - Tagged , , ,

Will YOUR KIDS Have Books for ‘Read Across America’ Day?

Feb11
2013 Brian Minter Written by Brian Minter
Chandler Arnold, First Book's executive vice-president, with a student from Belmont Runyon Elementary school in Newark, NJ, at a ‘Read Across America’ event last year.

Chandler Arnold, First Book’s executive vice-president, with a student from Belmont Runyon Elementary school in Newark, NJ, at a ‘Read Across America’ event last year.

Read Across America Day is fast approaching; on March 1, children across the country will celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday by reading ‘The Cat in the Hat’ and other childhood favorites.

But, as much as we love Dr. Seuss, the READING part is the important bit. At First Book, we will always line up for cake and ice cream, but books and reading come first. Because kids who read at home become stronger, more capable readers, and that’s the critical ingredient in become successful — in school and in life.

‘Read Across America’ is an annual event sponsored by our friends at the National Education Association (NEA). First Book is proud to do our part for such a critical issue.

Here’s what you can do:

And most importantly of all, take the time to read to a child in your life. You’ll both be glad you did.

Posted in Authors & Illustrators, Books & Reading, Education, First Book Partners, Literacy - Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Teachers Join Forces With First Book: Weingarten Challenges AFT Members to Give Five Million Books to Kids in Need

Jul30
2012 Brian Minter Written by Brian Minter

This is our new challenge. Today I am calling on AFT members to partner with First Book to distribute five million new books this year to students in need.
– Randi Weingarten, AFT president

First Book was in Detroit over the weekend, attending the annual convention of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), one of the nation’s largest teachers’ unions.

First Book displaying some of our books at the annual AFT conventionTeachers are some of our favorite people; more than anyone, they understand the importance of books and reading, and why an ongoing supply of quality books is so important for turning kids into strong readers and successful students.

We’re especially excited to be working with the 1.5 million teachers, librarians and school staff that make up the AFT. Over the past year, we’ve completed successful pilot projects together in over 20 cities across the country, putting nearly 250,000 new books into the hands of children from low-income families.

Now the AFT is stepping up to do even more. At the convention, AFT president Randi Weingarten challenged the assembled educators to distribute five million new books over the next year.

“By working with our friends in the AFT, we’re able to reach thousands more schools serving kids in need,” said First Book president Kyle Zimmer. “The dedication of these educators is inspiring. Everyone at First Book is proud to be able to help them make a difference in their students’ lives.”

Any teachers, librarians or school staff working with children from low-income families can sign up with First Book to access a steady stream of new, quality books.

Click below to see a video of Kyle talking to the assembled AFT educators about our work together, and about her memories of Mrs. Evans, her own unforgettable first-grade teacher.

Posted in Books & Reading, Education, First Book Partners, Kyle Zimmer, Teachers - Tagged , , , , , ,

When it Comes to Books, Teachers’ Biggest Concerns [INFOGRAPHIC]

May13
2012 Brian Minter Written by Brian Minter

When it Comes to Books, Teachers' Biggest Concerns [INFOGRAPHIC]

If you’re a teacher or program leader who works with kids in need, let us know what you think. Leave a comment below, or comment on First Book’s Facebook page.

Posted in Books & Reading, Education, Teachers - Tagged , , , , ,

One Million Books in Just Ten Days: The Final Reckoning

Apr26
2012 Brian Minter Written by Brian Minter

One Million Books in Just Ten DaysRecently, First Book promised to distribute one million brand-new books to kids in need across the country in just ten days.

Those ten days are up, and we are as good as our word. Better, even … altogether we distributed a little over 1.2 million books to the schools and programs in our national network. Woot!

25,000 of those books went to kids at Title I schools across Montana. Heather Denny, a Title I specialist in Montana who was instrumental in helping First Book distribute the books at a statewide conference of Title I teachers, emailed us this morning to tell us how excited her colleagues were.

Heather Denny, a Montana teacher, on First Book“It was amazing!” she wrote. “You should have seen the smiles on our teacher’s faces. We had a retiring teacher who worked in the book room all day because she wanted to see the young teachers coming in and leaving with boxes of books.”

If that doesn’t warm your heart, you are made of sterner stuff than we are.

First Book volunteers in MilwaukeeThanks to everyone who made this possible, from the hard-working volunteers who spent long, tiring days in warehouses to the generous publishers who provided the books to our nonprofit and corporate partners who provide the support needed, and especially to all the teachers and local program leaders who take these books and use them to turn kids into readers.

Want to get involved in our next amazing book distribution? Click here to sign up for our newsletter and we’ll send you monthly emails sharing stories and letting you know how you can get involved in your community.

Posted in Book Distributions, First Book Events, First Book Partners, National Book Bank, Teachers, Volunteers - Tagged , , , , ,

Country Roads, Take Me Home: First Book Goes All Out for West Virginia Kids

Sep07
2011 Brian Minter Written by Brian Minter

“Our kids don’t get to have dreams, aspirations, hopes. They can’t even think about college; it’s not in their minds. That’s why these books are so important. Books are the beginning of everything. You learn about other places, you learn about the world.”

– Angela Fedele of the WE CAN Program, a statewide program based in Princeton, W.Va., that provides volunteer mentors for at-risk kids

Angela Fedele is one of the many teachers and program leaders who spend their days doing everything they can to help West Virginia’s kids. At First Book, our mission is to do everything we can to help people like Angela.

By signing up with First Book, Angela was able to provide $3,000 worth of new books for the children in her program, thanks to a combination of grant money and support from local First Book volunteers.

First Book Brings 300,000 Books to West VirginiaFirst Book works with programs across the country, but we have a special place in our hearts for West Virginia. We’ve provided 294,228 brand-new books to children in need across the state, and plan to distribute 14,000 more by the end of the summer, thanks in part to a federal grant from the Department of Education.

In addition, we’re launching a new partnership with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) to ensure that more kids have the books and resources they need. We’ll be announcing more details about this partnership soon, but we had a great kick-off last week in Charleston. Together with our friends at the AFT, we provided new books, along with grants to purchase more, to two local schools – West Side Elementary and Stonewall Jackson Middle School.

Help us get the word out, West Virginia! If you work for a school or program that serves children from low-income families, or if you’d like to help your child’s teacher or program leader get new books, sign up with First Book. And if you’d like to join one of our local volunteer groups, we’d love to hear from you.

Posted in Book Distributions, Book Recipients, First Book Events, First Book Partners, Teachers, Volunteers - Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Matt Damon (and his Mom) Sticks Up for Teachers

Aug03
2011 Brian Minter Written by Brian Minter

A teacher wants to teach. I mean, why else would you take a @#$%^& salary and really long hours and do that job unless you really love to do it? — Matt Damon

Matt Damon (and his Mom) Sticks Up for TeachersLots of people have been sending us links to the video of actor Matt Damon defending teachers. Damon was at the Save Our Schools rally in Washington D.C. this weekend with his mother, a teacher, and was interviewed by a video crew from Reason, a libertarian magazine and website.

In the clip, Damon gets quite testy with the spokeswoman and cameraman. (Warning: In this case “testy” also includes some adult language, so please don’t watch this clip if that offends you, or if you are with young children.)

When you watch the entire video, it’s pretty clear that the woman from Reason isn’t interested in telling the stories of teachers and why they came to Washington D.C. for the rally. Instead, she seems interested in presenting teachers in an unflattering light, and making simplistic statements about complex issues like tenure and education reform.

That’s why we’re pleased to see so many people forwarding this video, and talking about it on Twitter and Facebook – overwhelmingly in support of Damon’s comments.

It’s not that he said something brilliant or insightful. It’s that he’s defending school teachers, and we’re glad to see that’s something that resonates with so many people.

What do you think? Let us know, on this blog post or on our Facebook page.

Posted in Education, Teachers, Video - Tagged , , , , , , ,

Why do kids need books at home?

May31
2011 Rochee Jeffrey Written by Rochee Jeffrey

Today’s guest blog post is from Sheila Frye (teachingliteracy). Sheila has been in education for over thirteen years serving as a Special Educator, Gifted and Talented Teacher, Reading Teacher, Reading Specialist, and Adjunct Professor of graduate education. A lifelong lover of reading, Sheila is currently a doctorate candidate studying the relationship between literacy learning and technology.

Books.

Some may think they are merely printed words inked onto pieces of white paper.

But to a child, they can be so much more.

Research shows that children who grow up in print-rich environments and have access to high-quality books fair better academically in school. They are more self-confident learners and believe in the power of exploration and imagination.

Unfortunately, many families in low-income areas often lack money to buy books, and all families, including those in high-income ones, typically do not frequent their local libraries. The result? Stunted literacy development and a missed opportunity to be a lifelong reader.

Organizations like First Book are “putting books in the hands of children who need them the most.” First Book works tirelessly to make books available in homes, classrooms, and programs in North America and end illiteracy once and for all.

Interested in learning more about this valuable organization? Just click here.

Posted in Books & Reading, Guest Blog Posts, Literacy - Tagged , , ,

The Future of Books

Jan21
2011 Brian Minter Written by Brian Minter

First Book and the Future of Books
First Book recently celebrated the distribution of our 80 millionth book. While we couldn’t be prouder of the success this represents, we are even more excited about the future of books and our unique opportunity – thanks to the experienced voices of the educators and program leaders who work with us – to help guide the publishing industry as it evolves.

You need only look at the front page of the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal to understand that ebooks, Kindles, and iPhones are changing the way people read. We know, however, that while the formats may be changing, the fundamental question of access is not. Children from low-income families will still need access to this content, regardless of its format – now more than ever.

First Book is taking strong steps to be a leader in the digital category. In 2010 we completed a successful pilot program with the award-winning WordWorld, LLC which distributed more than 65,000 ebook CD-ROMs to First Book programs. Based on the success of this project, we are currently exploring a range of opportunities across the digital spectrum – from lower-tech options like educational DVDs to higher-tech resources like e-readers, proprietary ebooks, and downloadable content for educators.

To ensure we do the job right, we need feedback from the people who use First Book’s resources. As we continue this work we will be reaching out to educators and program leaders to tell us what digital and electronic resources you need to help the children that you serve. We want to continue to provide the best and most innovative resources for everyone in the First Book family, so that no child gets stranded on the other side of the digital divide.

Do you work with kids from low-income communities as a teacher or in a mentoring or tutoring program?

If so, tell us what kind of digital resources you’d like to see from First Book in the future.

Posted in Education, Literacy - Tagged , , , , ,
« Older Entries

Recent Tweets

Follow Me on Twitter

Powered by Twitter Tools