Charlotte Brett, the librarian at Antrim Elementary School in New Hampshire is the winner of the grand prize of a $4,000 gift certificate in the Lexia Library Wish program. Created by Lexia, a Cambium Learning Group brand, in collaboration with the nonprofit First Book, the program offered Title 1 educators the chance to win a total of over $16,000 for stocking their classroom or school library with books from the First Book Marketplace. Brett’s prize funding will be enough to buy approximately 800 books.
In addition, 25 educators have been named as silver prize winners. Each silver prize winner will receive a $400 First Book Marketplace gift certificate, which will enable them to purchase about 80 books. Gift certificates of $40 have been awarded to 74 more educators.
Antrim Elementary School spent 2023 without a librarian, and Brett intends to use the Lexia Library Wish funds to update the school’s library. “Many of the students that I serve do not have access to books at home and depend on the library to fill that need,” said Brett. “The average age of my fiction collection is 2005, and 70% of the collection is considered out of date and/or damaged.”
Brett’s goal is to provide her students with a dynamic and diverse collection. “My students live in a small community and due to the high rate of poverty within our community they rarely have opportunities to explore the larger world around them,” she said. “I also plan to use the funds to increase my high interest, low reading level chapter book collection. My students are excited about reading and love coming to the library, however many are still growing as readers.”
The Lexia Library Wish program was open to educators, paraprofessionals, school librarians, and other staff members working with kids in underserved communities, Title I schools, or other programs where more than 70% of students come from low-income families. More than 2,500 educators applied during the entry period, which ended on October 2.
“We created the Lexia Library Wish program in celebration of our 40th anniversary this year,” said Lexia President, Nick Gaehde. “Teaming up with fellow educational innovator, First Book, has enabled us to expand our impact by bringing much-needed books to Title I schools across the country.”
First Book is a nonprofit social enterprise that provides educators and program leaders serving low-income communities with access to free and low-cost high-quality books and resources to help create educational equity. Lexia Library Wish participants also qualified for a free membership in the First Book community of more than 600,000 educators, program leaders, and volunteers across the United States who are dedicated to removing barriers to equitable education and by infusing high-quality books and resources into classrooms and programs.
“Lexia has been leading the science of reading revolution for 40 years,” said Gaehde. “As first movers in literacy learning, we know the right books can reflect students’ identities and open doors to new perspectives, making a lasting impact on their lives and helping to close the literacy outcome gap. This new initiative underscores our ongoing commitment to improving literacy and education for underserved communities, ensuring more students have access to the resources they need to thrive.”
About First Book
Education transforms lives. First Book is building a world where every child has access to a quality education. We work to remove barriers to education and level the playing field for kids in need. At the heart of our work are the more than 600,000 members of the First Book Network, the largest online community of individual educators, professionals and volunteers dedicated to supporting children in need across North America. This Network is the key to creating systemic change. Through our research arm, First Book Research & Insights, we conduct studies that aggregate their voices to identify barriers to equitable education and inform strategic solutions. To address their needs, we provide free and low-cost books, resources, and access to leading experts through the First Book Marketplace, which uses aggregated buying power to support this underserved community. Founded in Washington D.C. in 1992 as a nonprofit social enterprise, First Book is dedicated to eliminating barriers to learning and inspiring young minds. Learn more at firstbook.org and visit our award-winning eCommerce website at fbmarketplace.org.
About Lexia
Lexia, a Cambium Learning Group brand, is a leader in science of reading-based solutions. For 40 years, the company has focused on pre-K-12 literacy and today provides solutions for students and educators. With a complete offering of professional learning, curriculum, and embedded assessment, Lexia helps more learners read, write, and speak with confidence. For more information, visit www.lexialearning.com.
About Cambium Learning Group
Cambium Learning Group is the education essentials company, providing award-winning education technology and services for K-12 educators and students. With an intentional collection of respected global brands, Cambium serves as a leader, helping millions of educators and students feel more seen, valued, and supported every day. In everything it does, the company focuses on the elements that are most essential to the success of education, delivering simpler, more certain solutions that make a meaningful difference right now.
To learn more, visit www.cambiumlearning.com or follow Cambium on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X. The Cambium family of brands includes: Cambium Assessment, Lexia, Learning A-Z, ExploreLearning, and Time4Learning.
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