INDIANAPOLIS — As families across the country enter a back-to-school season unlike any before, employees of The E.W. Scripps Company and communities where it does business in more than 40 markets across the country are raising money to ensure kids in low-income households have access to books.
The “If You Give a Child a Book …” childhood literacy campaign is an annual drive led by the Scripps Howard Foundation and supported by Scripps employees and Scripps family members. Over the last four years, the campaign has donated more than 352,000 new books to children facing poverty in communities served by Scripps businesses.
This year for the first time, Scripps is inviting its audiences to support the cause. Fundraising drives kick off today across Scripps’ local and national media platforms:
- With gifts from Scripps family members, each Scripps market will receive $5,000 toward its local book contribution. Viewers in Scripps’ local markets can donate to the local drives via a link on their local station website.
- The first $50,000 in donations from audiences of national brands Newsy, the Scripps National Spelling Bee, Simplemost and the Katz networks – Bounce, Court TV, Court TV Mystery, Grit and Laff – will be matched thanks to a generous donation from The Kroger Co. Foundation.
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A significant marker for educational success occurs when most children are only 8-9 years old. How well a child reads at the end of third grade can affect the rest of her education.
- A child who can’t read at grade level by third grade is four times less likely to graduate from high school. If this same child lives in poverty, 13 times less likely to graduate.
- But 61% of low-income families have zero books at home
The “If You Give a Child a Book … ” childhood literacy campaign seeks to make sure books are available to kids who need them most.
Across the country, Scripps brands partner with low-income schools and local nonprofit groups that work directly with children and families to present the books through book fairs and other giveaways throughout the following year. In the program’s first four years, the campaign has donated more than 352,000 new books to children nationwide facing poverty in their communities.
Please join us in our mission to empower children in need with the literacy tools they need to be successful in school and in life by donating to our “If You Give a Child a Book … ” campaign.
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Each TV station and national brand will select low-income schools and nonprofits in their communities to distribute the books to ensure they go to children who need them most; whether children are learning in a traditional classroom setting, remote learning or a hybrid of the two.
Book Distribution
Whether schooling is in-person, fully remote or a hybrid of the two, Scripps Howard Foundation and our partner, Scholastic Book Fairs, will have options that ensure books reach children who need them most:
- In-school options: For those schools having classes on-site, book fairs and book nooks will be fully supported, utilizing social distancing and other safety measures.
- Remote options: Scholastic Book Fairs will work one-on-one with schools operating remotely. In most cases, teachers will order books based on the interests and reading abilities of the children in their classes. Books will be delivered to the schools and then distributed directly to children by the schools.
- Hybrid: Schools operating on a hybrid model can choose the option that works best for them.
So much is changing right now, but our promise remains strong – to empower all young readers through age-appropriate and culturally relevant books and provide kids with a sense of normalcy and joy, especially through such uncertain times.
Now more than ever, children need access to books in their homes. The “If You Give A Child a Book …” campaign puts books into the hands of children in need across our community
Learn more about the campaign at ifyougiveabook.com.
“Research shows the achievement gap that exists between low-income and high-income children can be narrowed or even closed simply by giving books to kids who may not have them in their homes,” said Liz Carter, president and CEO of the Scripps Howard Foundation. “When you give a child a book, you give them a chance at success. Kids who learn to read are more likely to graduate, to vote and to be civically involved. Because of this inextricable connection, childhood literacy is a key part of our mission to create a better-informed world and our responsibility to the communities we serve.”
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Scripps businesses regularly give back to their local communities, including raising more than $2 million for food banks across the country.
The multi-platform “If You Give a Child a Book …” fundraising drives run through Sept. 11. Learn more and donate at ifyougiveabook.com.
About the Scripps Howard Foundation | The Scripps Howard Foundationsupports philanthropic causes important to The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) and the communities it serves, with a special emphasis on excellence in journalism. At the crossroads of the classroom and the newsroom, the Foundation is a leader in supporting journalism education, scholarships, internships, minority recruitment and development, literacy and First Amendment causes. The Scripps Howard Awards stand as one of the industry’s top honors for outstanding journalism. The Foundation improves lives and helps build thriving communities. It partners with Scripps brands to create awareness of local issues and supports impactful organizations to drive solutions.
