Books for Change USA is a growing nonprofit formed to promote literacy initiatives both locally and globally. In addition, we strive to increase the use of high-quality and diverse children’s literature in today’s classrooms.
In 2022, Books for Change USA is proud to have sponsored the following educators and their literacy initiatives both locally and across the globe.
Books for Change USA promoted literacy in the Dalton-Whitfield Georgia area by awarding $2500.00 in teacher mini-grants to the following local educators:
· Carrie Kit at Blue Ridge School in Dalton Public Schools
· Katya Spence at Park Creek School in Dalton Public Schools
· Jennifer Hastings at North Whitfield Middle School in Whitfield County Schools
· Teresa Hensley at Westside Elementary School in Whitfield County Schools
The purpose of these grants is to help educators build classroom libraires to promote a love of reading and skills in independent reading.
Our organization also supported the following local literacy initiatives through donations of books:
· Slide into Summer at Burr Park
· Bubbles and Books and the Book Spot at Park Creek School
· Little Free Libraries throughout the community.
Books for Change USA teacher mini-grant program grew in 2022. 215 applications were received from 32 different states. In addition to the 4 local winners, $5000.00 was distributed to 10 other grant recipients:
· Cheryl Carter-Oklahoma
· Sandy Chilton-Texas
· Mauri Crisler-Alabama
· Michelle DiGiorgio-New Jersey
· Shanahan Elmore-West Virginia
· Nina Ezell-North Carolina
· Lauren Gardner-Tennessee
· Alexis Hinchliffe -North Carolina
· Dana Riggs-Texas
· Andrea Tousignant-Tennessee
· Tricia Tussing-Georgia
· Audrey West-Texas
Through generous donations and grants, Books for Change USA continued to support Luis Soriano and his Biblioburro Library in La Gloria, Colombia. In a recent letter to Books for Change USA, Luis has expressed his thanks for this support.
“With this valuable contribution, we have acquired 4 acres of land so that the donkeys do not remain grazing at the home of friends and relatives. Today we are the owner of a piece of land that without this help it would not have been possible to have the land of Biblioburro. We were able to do this due to the valuable contribution that was made. We were able to fence in the property. We have small lakes to store rainwater. We have bought 300 new books for the reading process. New stories from good publishers and books to engage students in the literacy process. Similarly, I have taken a small percentage for the purchase of one more donkey. We have called it “The Siren” due to the fact that when we are arriving somewhere he begins to bray very loudly that sometimes he does not allow us to listen. But it is the one that announces our arrival to any community. It looks like the siren of a police patrol, that's why he is named that. In the same way, with that money that has been distributed throughout the year, we have bought vaccines for the donkeys and for me. I was able to buy my glasses to improve my vision. I was also able to go to the dentist and be very austere with the expenses that arise from daily work.”
Luis Soriano
If you are interested in supporting our work please consider the following:
· Donate to Books for Change USA. Let us know if you have a program you want to specifically support (Biblioburro, teacher grants)
· Like, follow, and share our Facebook, Instagram, and website with your friends, family, and colleagues.
Thank you for your support!
