At Scholastic, we know how important it is for students to have access to books they want to read. Through collaborating with literacy organizations like My Very Own Library (MVOL), an international initiative that encourages literacy by offering students in need an opportunity to own their own books, Scholastic is able to ensure that more children are given the chance to become book owners, build their own home libraries and discover the power and joy of reading.
This school year, more than 33,000 students from 80 schools across six states and the Dominican Republic will be given the opportunity to choose and own 10 new children’s books for free thanks to the MVOL program. To ensure low-income students have access to books at home, the MVOL program allows students to choose the books they want to read for free from their school book fair. By the end of the school year, each child will have 10 brand-new books of their own to create their home library.
According to the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report™, 61% percent of children ages 6–17 from the lowest-income homes say they read for fun mostly in school. The MVOL program allows children a chance to have access to books at home to ensure they can continue to read for pleasure beyond the school day.
Throughout this school year, the My Very Own Library program will support:
- 2,433 low-income students in 7 public schools in Kansas City, MO with the support of United Way of Greater Kansas City giving away over 24,330 books
- 26 public schools in Newark, NJ, serving 16,500 students giving away over 165,000 books. (Partner Organization: United Way of Essex and West Hudson)
- 1 Middle School & 1 High School at Making Waves Academy in Richmond, CA,serving 780 students giving away over 7,800 books (Partner Organization: Making Waves Foundation)
- 4 schools in Chicago, Illinois,serving 1,250 students giving away over 12,500 books. (Partner Organization: University of Chicago Charter Schools)
- 14 schools across the state of Delaware,serving 5,900 students giving away over 59,000 books (Partner Organization: United Way of Delaware)
- 14 public schools in Milwaukee, WI,serving4,500 students giving away over 45,000 books (Partner Organization: United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County)
- 11 schools in the Dominican Republic,serving 2,000 students giving away over 25,000 books (Partner Organization: Dream Project)
For more information on My Very Own Library, or for details on making a donation, please visit www.myveryownlibrary.org
image via Dillon Kalkhurst
