First Book: Campus-Based Program Conference Call

Posted by on February 7, 2003

Dear Service-Learning Colleagues:

On behalf of all of us here at First Book, we’d like to invite you to join a teleconference discussion to learn about our new campus-based initiative. Hear how colleges and universities nationwide can serve their communities by providing brand-new, high-quality books to children from low-income families through First Book. First Book is a national non-profit organization that gives children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books. First Book primarily works with community-based volunteer chapters to provide existing local literacy programs with grants of brand-new books. Through our work, First Book not only helps improve the educational opportunities available through local programs but, because the books become the property of the children, First Book also improves the home literacy environment of underprivileged children. We are eager to combine the success of our proven model with the energy and inspiration of young leaders at the college level. In the last two years alone, First Book has provided almost 15 million new books to children in need in hundreds of communities nationwide – and approximately 25,000 of those were through our five successful pilot campus chapters.

Our conference call on Thursday, February 20, 2003, at 2:00 PM EST will provide an overview of First Book and our campus-based volunteer model, and how you can get your campus involved. The call will feature current First Book college volunteers and First Book staff, and will offer a detailed look at how the model works in practice. To register for this free call, please e-mail me at kjessup@firstbook.org and I will send you more detailed information, including an agenda and relevant access information. In the meantime, if you would like to learn more about First Book and our work around the country, please visit our website at http://www.firstbook.org, call us toll-free at 866-393-1222, or just send me an e-mail at kjessup@firstbook.org. Please feel free to share this information with other colleagues as well.

I hope you’ll be able to join us on Feb. 20!

All best,

Kim
____________
Kimberly Jessup
Manager, Community Development
First Book
1319 F St. NW, Suite #1000
Washington, DC 20004
(866) 393-1222 x14 (toll-free)/ (202) 628-1258 (fax)
http://www.firstbook.org

“Thank you for the books and now that we know you care it filled our hearts with joy and it also made us one step closer to being very smart.”
-Ralik, a child enrolled in Step One Tutoring, recipient of a book grant from First Book-University of Pennsylvania