First Book
http://www.firstbook.org/
Elevator Pitch:
Access to New Books for Children in Need
First Book, a nonprofit organization, connects book publishers and community organizations to provide access to new books for children in need, addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy: access to books.
Founder:
Kyle Zimmer
Key ideas:
Studies show that the single strongest indicator of a child’s future reading success is simple: the number of books in the home. Yet access to books is virtually nonexistent for children in need.
In low-income neighborhoods, there is access to, on average, just one age-appropriate book for every 300 children, compared with 13 books for every child in middle-income families.
More than 80% of preschool and after-school programs serving children from low-income families do not have a steady supply of books for the children they serve.
First Book provides new books to children through eligible community organizations like preschools, day care, after-school, and tutoring/mentoring programs.
The children take home and keep the books that they receive.Â
Worth Reading/Watching:
First Book President, Kyle Zimmer, on why reading matters
