Highlights
Donor support helps Keep Books®, Columbus Division of Police Unite to Improve Book Access
Source: https://inspire.ehe.osu.edu/
Jamie Lipp, a leader in literacy education and spouse to a Columbus Division of Police Commander, recognized the need to provide books to children in underprivileged communities. With support from the Foster Initiative Fund, a partnership was formed with the Columbus Division of Police Community Liaison Unit to launch the Starfish Assignment Books and Badges initiative.
Key Highlight:
- The initiative aims to strengthen the relationship between the community and the police by having officers visit schools to read to elementary students and provide them with books to take home. Jamie Lipp, leading the Literacy Collaborative, facilitated a partnership with the Columbus Division of Police, allowing for the distribution of 17,000 books to K-2 students across the district.
- This gift ensured that 2,000 children in 80 classrooms received sets of eight age-appropriate books, while 20 kindergarten classrooms received additional educational resources. The project not only removed barriers to access but also fostered further enrichment and creativity in schools like Broadleigh Elementary, where the literacy coach, Lisa Chappell, organized book distributions and planned additional projects.
- The Keep Books® program was created through a college research project, funded by grants from the Martha Jennings Foundation and the Charles A. Dana Foundation. Researchers collaborated with classroom teachers to address the need for K-2 students to have access to reading materials at home appropriate for their reading level. The result was the development of a collection of books designed to match students’ abilities at various stages of learning.
- The Keep Books® program offers books not specifically intended for formal reading instruction but as supplementary reading materials. These books contain text features that support children’s reading development. By providing these books for students to take home, they gain increased access to quality texts, fostering a sense of success in reading and connecting school and home environments.
- Jamie Lipp emphasizes the importance of children having access to easy-to-read books that they can own, enabling repeated readings and fostering a love for reading. The hope is that these books will make a significant impact on the lives of children in the community, potentially becoming cherished possessions that children revisit and enjoy over time.
Image Source: https://inspire.ehe.osu.edu/