Events
First Book Teams Up with Scholastic's ClassroomsCare Program in Canada
First Book/Le Premier Livre is proud to partner with Scholastic Book Clubs ClassroomsCare program, a philanthropy-based literacy campaign designed to teach children about the joys and importance of reading and giving. From January 1 through May 31, 2007, Canadian classrooms will read 100 books and in turn, Scholastic Book Clubs, a division of Scholastic, the global children's publishing and media company, will donate up to 100,000 new books to disadvantaged Canadian children through First Book and other charitable partners who ensure that the books are placed into the hands of the hardest to reach children. First Book/Le Premier Livre will receive the donations and will distribute the books to children in under-served communities across Canada.
Les Premieres Etapes: First Steps for First Book/Le Premier Livre
"Research tells us that the single critical factor which determines whether a child becomes a reader is access to reading materials - specifically, the number of books in the home. First Book puts brand new books into the hands of children who need them most, enabling them to experience the joy and wonder of reading."
-Kyle Zimmer, President and Co-founder, First Book
Following up on a March 2006 visit to Canada, First Book President, Kyle Zimmer, and members of First Book's senior team traveled to Toronto in October, where they met with leaders from each of the private, government, and social sectors to discuss First Book/Le Premier Livre. While in Ontario, our senior team had the pleasure of meeting with many of the major Canadian children's publishers as well as Canadian affiliates of our US publishing partners.
The Honourable James K. Bartleman, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario; John O'Leary, President of Frontier College; and Tim Pinnington, President of TD Mutual Funds and First Book Board member, hosted receptions for First Book/Le Premier Livre which offered our team the opportunity to meet with the leadership of a number of foundations, library organizations, and education and outreach programs serving children from low-income families across Canada.
These and other conversations with Canadian leaders from a variety of sectors continue to inform our decisions and inspire our work on this exciting project. The entire First Book/Le Premier Livre team would like to extend special thanks to all of those in Canada whose guidance has meant so much to us throughout this process.
We look forward to updating you as these efforts continue to develop.
Our Partners
