Volunteers from Bridge of Books read to 1,600 students In 14 New Jersey Schools over the course of the week.
3,520 students were each able to choose 2 or 3 books to take home.
Launched in 1998 by the National Education Association (NEA), Read Across America is the nation’s largest celebration of reading. Events are held the first week in March to coincide with the March 2nd Birthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel a.k.a Dr. Seuss, whose books are loved by children. In 2019, the NEA broadened the scope of the event with a new logo in an effort to appeal to students of all ages and backgrounds and a continued mission to “Celebrate a Nation of Diverse Readers.”
Bridge of Books Foundation’s goal is to help underserved children throughout New Jersey develop literacy skills and to encourage a love of reading by providing access to age appropriate books. Read Across America is one of the few times each year that Bridge of Books Foundation recruits volunteers to read to children in various schools. Founder and Executive Director, Abigail Daly, said “These reading opportunities are wonderful for everyone involved. Not only do the students love getting to pick books to call their own; they love having someone new take the time to come and read to them. And our volunteers get the chance to see first-hand the impact and importance of what we do 365 days a year. The smiles, hugs, “thank yous” and “I love yous” are pretty amazing too.”
This year, Bridge of Books Foundation sent volunteer readers and book donations to the following Monmouth County Schools:
- Acelero Head Start Schools in Red Bank, Neptune, Freehold and Asbury Park
- Port Monmouth Pre-K in Keansburg
- Caruso Pre-K in Keansburg
- Alphabets Preschool in Asbury Park
- Thurgood Marshall Elementary in Asbury Park
- Caruso Elementary in Keansburg.
In addition, Bridge of Books Foundation also sent book donations to students in several schools outside of Monmouth County:
- PS #28 & PS #29 in Jersey City
- Elizabeth Avenue Elementary School in Somerset
- Cedarbrook K-8 Center in Plainfield
- Greenwood Elementary in Trenton
In total, Bridge of Books Foundation donated nearly 11,500 books to 14 schools in 5 separate New Jersey Counties. Students at each school picked 2 or 3 books to take home with them.
Founder and Executive Director of Bridge of Books Foundation, Abigail A. Daly, said, “This is a favorite time of year for us all because the joy of reading is on everyone’s mind. It is important to remember that there are still children all across our State who do not have adequate access to books in their homes, schools or communities on a regular basis. These are the kids who are falling behind in the development of their literacy skills and who have had little to no opportunity to experience the joys of reading. We are working hard to change this on a daily basis by getting as diverse a selection of books as possible in the hands of kids who need them.”