SCEDA Women volunteered in October with the Original Six Foundation, which works to provide educational resources to students in rural and underserved communities. Our members stamped 4,000 books in an hour, packing them to be sent to elementary schools! Thank you to the Foundation for having us. SCEDA Women will plan to support the Original6 Foundation throughout the year.
About Original6 Foundation
There’s no greater gift to a child than teaching him or her to read. There’s also no more important academic skill. That’s why My First Library, a foundational literacy program, is a vital component of Original6’s work in schools, supporting children whose families often do not have the resources to properly nurture a proficiency in and love of reading.
Through My First Library, kindergarten students are invited to choose ten high-quality, grade-level summer reading books at an end-of-the-year book fair. The program is distinct from other reading programs in these ways:
- Starting early. Most summer reading programs begin in the 1st grade, while My First Library starts the summer before. This creates a bridge that helps negate the “summer slide” which accounts for as much as 85% of the reading achievement gap between lower-income students and their middle and upper-income peers.
- Student’s choice. Studies show 92% of kids say they are more likely to finish a book they picked out themselves.
- Greatest need. As a statewide organization, the Original Six Foundation is positioned to identify and invest in areas of greatest need.
Best of all, these young readers get to build their at-home libraries, filled with books of their choosing and a love of reading that will last a lifetime.