Today on AM Buffalo we are focusing our efforts on the younger generation and how putting a book in their hands can empower them for years to come. We are zeroing in on the “If You Give a Child a Book” campaign. This is an annual campaign and it’s in partnership with the Scripps Howard Fund.
Joining us today is Meredith Delaney, director of philanthropic strategies Scripps Howard fund/foundation says it is so important for kids to access to books regardless of their economic status and to build home libraries because having books in the home is actually one of the greatest predictors of a child’s success not only in school but beyond those school years as well. She goes on to say, “The If You Give a Child a Book campaign was initiated a couple of years ago, we are headed into our seventh year and we found there was a true need to continue to serve children beyond where some of the other childhood literacy programs that are nationwide, where they end. So many of those programs really serve a population of about zero to age five and we knew there still was a need once children started kindergarten to continue to build their home libraries and we have been so successful that this school year we will actually be giving out our one millionth book which such a significant and joyous milestone to achieve.”
Meredith says, “We partner mostly with Title one schools and Title one schools mean the majority of those children are on free and reduced price, their families are underserved and chances are some of those children show up to school with a whole host of barriers to learning and so we want to make sure those kids have every opportunity to learn and succeed and grow and when you give a child a book, you give a kid a chance and books can actually serve as a window or a mirror and when I say it can serve as a window, it means it can open up a world of opportunities to a child, they can escape from reality, they can perhaps see or think about a new place that they have never been able to explore before or a book can serve as a mirror where a child can actually see themselves in the character and so books can just provide endless opportunities for children especially children in poverty and that’s why it’s so important for this initiative to give books to that particular population of kids.”
The If You Give a Child a Book program partners with Scholastic Books. This program provides free Scholastic Book Fairs to these Title 1 schools because we believe so importantly in giving children the power of choice and the kids get to select the books as they want to read and that is so crucial.
