Scholastic Possible Fund, Usher, & New Look Donate 100,000 Children’s Books to Toys for Tots, Save the Children and Room to Read
New York, NY — Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, today announced that a donation of 100,000 new children’s books from The Scholastic Possible Fund will be donated to children in need this holiday season through three non-profit organizations that work to improve global literacy: Toys for Tots (49,200 books), Save the Children (31,700 books) and Room to Read (19,100 books). The donation was made together with Usher and his New Look Charity, a 501(c)(3) organization that develops youth from underserved communities into global leaders. Usher recently joined with Scholastic to launch the new “Open a World of Possible” initiative, designed to elevate the importance and joy of reading for all children. Research and resources are available at: www.scholastic.com/worldofpossible.
“We know from research that when children discover a book they love, they are motivated to read more, understand more, and learn more. When that happens, everything is possible,” said Dick Robinson, Chairman, President and CEO, Scholastic. “We applaud all the work that Toys for Tots, Save the Children and Room to Read do to ‘Open a World of Possible’ for children in the U.S. and around the world by giving them wonderful new books and stories to experience, enjoy, and own.”
On November 6, 2014, eight-time Grammy Award®–winning artist Usher hosted a live classroom webcast, viewed by close to 3 million students and their teachers, where he talked about the ways children can get involved in spreading the joy of reading. For their first call to action, students were asked to learn about three leading non-profit organizations and vote for the organization(s) they’d like to receive a donation of books. Each organization is receiving a portion of the donation from The Scholastic Possible Fund based on the students’ votes.
The Scholastic Possible Fund was established as part of the Company’s Open a World of Possible reading initiative to provide donations of new, quality books to children in underserved communities and in communities recovering from crises or natural disasters with the goal of improving global literacy. Books from The Scholastic Possible Fund are distributed through non-profit partner organizations that work to help children and families understand the importance of books and reading from birth through adulthood as a pathway to understanding oneself and becoming a lifelong learner.
About Scholastic
Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL) is the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books and a leader in educational technology and related services and children’s media. Scholastic creates quality books and ebooks, print and technology-based learning materials and programs, magazines, multi-media and other products that help children learn both at school and at home. The Company distributes its products and services worldwide through a variety of channels, including school-based book clubs and book fairs, retail stores, schools, libraries, on-air, and online at www.scholastic.com.
To learn more about the three organizations that received the donation of books, please visit their respective websites at Toys for Tots, Save the Children and Room to Read.
About New Look
Usher’s New Look Charity, founded by Usher Raymond IV in 1999, is at the forefront of the education crisis. The UNL program model provides Access, Awareness and Empowerment to youth in underserved communities to guide them on a pathway to leadership and to help them make educational and career choices that match their passions. UNL’s peer-to-peer training model focuses on developing well rounded, global-thinking servant leaders. Today, UNL has served over 21,000 youth across the U.S and internationally.
