On Friday, Feb. 11th, Scott and Cathy Leiber represented Judith’s Reading Room, the non-profit that made the day long event at Mosaic Preparatory Academy featuring author Ty Jackson.
Bringing together 2020 Freedom Through Literacy Judith’s Award Winner, Ty Allan Jackson and 2021 Honorable Mention winner Lisette Caesar.
Setting up at Mosaic Preparatory Academy, East Harlem, getting set up with librarian Ariel Birdoff and Ty Allan Jackson.
Kids raise hands because they like money!
On Giving Tuesday. Pennsylvania Non-Profit Packs Book Vending Machine at Mosaic Prep Academy in East Harlem, NY
On this Giving Tuesday, Judith’s Reading Room, a nonprofit literacy organization based in eastern Pennsylvania with offices in New York City, joined hands with its 2021 Freedom Through Literacy Award winner, Dr. Lisette Caesar, Principal, Mosaic Preparatory Academy in East Harlem to “stuff” her school’s first-of-its-kind Book Vending Machine with 50 children’s books.
Judith’s Reading Room donated the books thanks to generous patrons at the Wyomissing, PA Barnes & Noble. That store chose Judith’s Reading Room for the 2nd year in a row as its “Holiday Book Drive Charity.” Mosaic Prep Academy is just one of a a dozen recipient organizations that Judith’s Reading Room has selected to receive the donated books. Today’s Giving Tuesday gift of 50 hand-picked books is valued at $436.
The Book Vending Machine is the brainchild of Dr. Caesar in response to her students’ less than enthusiastic passion for reading following the shutdown of schools as a result of COVID-19. To spark a renewed passion for reading, scholars earn coupons for being good Samaritans or for reading a certain number of books. They exchange coupons for a token to unlock a book of their choice from the bright blue Book Vending Machine.
To entice even the youngest scholars, Judith’s Reading Room selected “I Can Read!” books as well as Caldecott Medal winners such as Drummer Hoff, and all-time favorites including The Story of Ferdinand and The Runaway Bunny. “The key to excite a child to read is simple. “You need to give them books that they want to read, that they choose to read,” stated Cathy Leiber, President and Co-Founder, Judith’s Reading Room.
Judith’s Reading Room’s mission is to enrich lives and societies by proactively encouraging freedom through literacy. That mission has been fulfilled by establishing 103 libraries in 22 countries with nearly 131,000 books donated worth over $1.4 million. Its annual Freedom Through Literacy Award offers cash prizes to champions of literacy around the world. Visit www.judithsreadingroom.org to learn more about previous winners and how to apply for the 2022 Award beginning in early January 2022.
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