SALT LAKE CITY — FOX 13, with the help of the Scripps Howard Fund, partners with Cyprus Credit Union every year to bring free books to students who need them the most in our area with the “If You Give a Child a Book Campaign”.
This year’s fall book fair was held at the Guadalupe School in Salt Lake City.
“You can kind of feel that excitement of Christmas Day,” says the Guadalupe School’s assistant principal Valerie Jones of the fair.
And just like the variety of presents under the Christmas tree, Jones says choosing your books is the best part.
“Student choice and voice and their selection of those books makes all the difference,” says Jones. “Their reading levels and reading ability is one of the greatest impacts on their futures, so I want to give them every opportunity we can.”
Those opportunities are important.
These books are the building blocks for the student’s success and their family’s success.
“Reading is a high priority at Guadalupe, especially since so many of our students were English-language learners this year, as one of our goals is to have every student improving their reading and reading proficiency,” says Jones. “For many of our families that are Spanish speakers, having Spanish books available helps provide a connection into English literacy that they may not have with an English text, so providing those opportunities really helps involve the families in the educational process.”
According to the National Literacy Trust, a 2019 survey found that one in five children do not have books at home.
The “If You Give a Child a Book Campaign” has provided more than 1.3 million books to students in Title I schools across the country and the goal is to reach 2 million books by 2026.
“This has been an incredible experience. I’ve worked in schools where I’ve seen students who were from lower socioeconomic means not be able to purchase books at the book fair and to be able to see every child regardless of their family situation walk away with books in hand, is a wonderful thing,” says Jones. “I’ve kind of been holding back tears all morning because of how sweet and tender it is.”
Because if you give a child a book:
“Giving a child a book gives them the future,” says Jones. “At Guadalupe, it’s all about transforming lives through education and giving books gives them the access to wonder and to build on their innate curiosity. What we really want is for them to see so much more than the life that they’re living now. We want to open the doors for whatever the future has for them.”
If you'd like to donate, all funds raised in Utah will stay in Utah at Title 1 Schools.
It's easy to give, click here or text "FOX13READS" to 50155.
You can also make a donation at any Cyprus Credit Union location.
