GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Children who grow up in a home without any books are, on average, three years behind kids who have lots of books at home.
That's just one reason FOX 17, along with the Scripps Howard Fund, makes childhood literacy a priority.
We made a big push to raise money to help support our "If You Give a Child a Book" campaign last summer. This year, FOX 17 and the Scripps Howard Fund will partner with Grand Rapids Public Schools to reach underserved children living in poverty.
We put the call out to you, our viewers, and you answered in a big way. We raised a total of $37,658 during our 2022 campaign.
Because of those donations, students at East Leonard Elementary School, Cesar E. Chavez Elementary School and Kent Hills Elementary School will get to pick out five free books to take home during Scholastic Book Fairs over the next three weeks. In the spring, students at those schools will get the chance to pick out more books to take home for free at a second Scholastic Book Fair.
Several higher education studies have found that when children select their own books, they are more likely to enjoy reading and score higher on comprehension tests. The “If You Give a Book” campaign partnership with Scholastic Books ensures children get to do just that. We bring Scholastic Book Fairs to Grand Rapids Public Schools so students can select their own books to take home.
The donations raised over the summer helped purchase more than 7,500 books for students at Title 1 schools in Grand Rapids. Each book a child gets equates to about 180 minutes of reading at home. This year’s book donations will generate more than a million reading minutes for students in Grand Rapids.
The target for this program is K-3rd grade, and one crucial element is that the children all have the power to choose.
"A lot of these kids, unfortunately, don't have any books in their home. This is an opportunity we're bringing to them and it's honestly, it's a game changer. It's a life-changing moment for them and when you give children the power of choice, it means that they're picking out a book they want to read,” explained Meredith Delaney, director of philanthropic strategies for the Scripps Howard Fund.
Children who lack ongoing access to a rich selection of books spend far less time reading, resulting in lower reading proficiency and a struggle to complete high school and prepare for the world beyond.
3rd grader Alfred Dunlap explains his 5 book choices to me! 📚❤️ great choices, scholar! @GRPublicSchools pic.twitter.com/GWAkcL4Vy8
— Tessa DiTirro (@TessOnTV) January 23, 2023
As a company, Scripps raised more than one million dollars, which equals 221,000 books.
It’s not too late to donate! Every $5 you donate buys one book for a child in need. Click here to donate.
