Summer Learning Program Launched in Partnership with Haywood County Schools
February 29, 2024, North Carolina: Haywood County Schools and Book Harvest announced today that all 3,114 students in eight elementary schools in Haywood County, North Carolina will go home this summer with a home library of 10 new books each, delivered through Book Harvest’s Books on Break program.
Books on Break is an evidence-informed program that the nonprofit organization Book Harvest first brought to Durham Public Schools in 2012. Since that time, North Carolina elementary school students have harvested more than 500,000 books to read over the summer and to keep forever.
The program, rooted in joy and abundance, enables students to select 10 new books free of charge to add to their home libraries and practice their reading over the summer. Students are invited to select their books from a wide array of brand new high-interest and high-quality titles. They each receive a new string backpack in which they can take their selections home; these backpacks are preloaded with resources and information for parents.
Haywood County Schools administrators and teachers were delighted by the news of the arrival of the program. Charly Inman, Federal Programs Director and High School Supervisor, shared, "Empowering our students with the gift of knowledge, our school district is thrilled to introduce a groundbreaking program offering students the opportunity to select 10 books to keep over the summer. This initiative embodies our commitment to combating summer learning loss by ensuring students have access to enriching literature year-round. By placing books directly into the hands of our young learners, we're not just fostering a love for reading, but also empowering them to continue their educational journey beyond the classroom."
Rachel Stine, Book Harvest’s Senior Director of New Site Development, commented on the expansion, “We at Book Harvest are excited to be reaching every elementary school student in Haywood County with Books on Break, and we are grateful for the partnership with Haywood County Schools that makes this possible. Books on Break is a vital complement to the essential work Haywood educators are doing all year long to help students learn to reach and practice their reading - and, along the way, develop an enduring love of reading. And evidence shows that simply having access to books in the summer over three consecutive summers can cut summer learning loss by half or more.”
Learn more: https://bookharvest.org/books-on-break/
Access logos, videos, and b-roll: https://bookharvest.org/media-kit/
About Book Harvest:
Book Harvest is internationally recognized for its work to transform children's literacy. Since 2011, Book Harvest has provided over two million books to children and families in North Carolina, ensuring that parents have the tools and power to ignite and strengthen their children's literacy. With programs that are grounded in evidence, Book Harvest believes that literacy starts at birth, in the home, powered by parents, and nourished with books. Learn more at bookharvest.org.
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