The long-term value of reading can be hard to imagine, until we see it in action. Where a love of reading will take someone is impossible to see, but it is something that allows for so much potential, for so many children.
Right now the Indigo Adopt a School program . is running their annual three-week campaign that aims to put more books into the hands of children in high-needs elementary schools across Canada. This year, approximately 500 schools are registered to participate in the program which runs from September 18 to October 9. I’d love to share a little bit about the importance of reading in my household – and how we can work to ensure high-needs students from coast-to-coast all have the same opportunities to read, learn and grow!
My children have been fortunate enough to have great teachers and attend schools with great reading programs, diverse libraries, and inviting book nook corners in their classrooms. Reading wasn’t forced down their throats, but was encouraged and promoted as an opportunity to slow down and absorb new information, be it curriculum based or purely for enjoyment. Because even reading just for fun is educational, and not just as vocabulary building. Reading gives a child so much to learn from.
Through their love of reading, my children have started to build their foundation for their life. My eldest wants to go to Rome after immersing herself in many volumes of Percy Jackson.
This love of history has created a passion for the world that she may not have known, if not for picking up that first book in the series in her school library.
But there are so many more books, and so many more children who need access to them, and libraries that need to be filled.
How Can You Help With the Indigo Adopt a School Program?
First, find out if a school in your area is participating in the Indigo Adopt a School program by going to Indigo Adopt a School . There are two ways that schools are participating:
- Indigo, Chapters, and Coles stores are “adopting” local high-needs elementary schools in their communities to fundraise on their behalf, with 100% of the funds raised in-store being donated to help revitalize the schools’ libraries.
- In addition to the “adoptees,” nearly 300 participating schools will fundraise online through adoptaschool.indigo.ca to help bolster children’s literacy development and encourage their students to foster a lifelong love of reading.
Second, contribute. Contribute via online fundraising, or in person at your Indigo, Chapters and Coles stores. It’s even possible to donate a book without a monetary contribution. Through the new “Tell a Story, Give a Story” option, the Foundation will donate an additional book – for free – when a supporter shares a few sentences about why their school of choice deserves a revitalized library. Further, the “Book Bonus” ensures that for every two books a supporter gives to their school of choice, the Foundation will donate one more book for free.
My younger daughter has taken longer to find her passion for reading. Her true joy is animals; loving them, nurturing, feeding, and tending. She is always the first to the chicken coop in the morning. Combining her love of animals with her blossoming reading skills has opened a whole new dimension of animal husbandry for her and she now aspires to become a Veterinarian. She reads books to learn about her chickens, goats, and bunnies, and how she can better care for them, as well as reading imaginative stories of children and pets. The gift of reading encourages her to follow her dreams and pursue her goals, showing her possibilities and opening her eyes to the world of animal care, all thanks to the availability of books in her library.
I truly thought the reading bug had skipped our youngest but the last year of committing to school and home reading opened his mind to it. He is excited about adventure books, and magical places and just seeing his growth has moved me to want to help other families and children discover books and see how reading can change your perspective and give you insight into other cultures and times, starting with the Indigo Adopt a School Program.
I always imagine libraries as the seeds that plant the minds of the future. To be able to expand the imaginations of the children that MY children will form a community with is not just an opportunity,
but a responsibility.
Supporting the via online fundraising can start so many children on the adventure of a lifetime. Learn more (adoptaschool.indigo.ca) and find out how YOU can donate today to inspire the potential of Canada’s school children.
And this year, your donation can reach even MORE children. With the new program “The Book Bonus” the via online fundraising will offer a matching program for all online donations. For every $20 donation received (the equivalent value of two books), Indigo will donate a third book for free.
Click now to donate and support with THREE books for a school near you.
Reading has been a joy to me my whole life, and as an adult, the writing aspect has become an outlet for my thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Every child should be given the amazing gift of reading and experiencing, escaping or just laughing out loud with a book, and through our support we can continue provide this via the Indigo Adopt a School Program. It’s our turn to inspire a future generation!
This post has been brought to you by the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation but the images and opinions are my own.