Indigo Love of Reading Foundation invites Canadians to participate in annual Adopt a School program to replenish school libraries across Canada
TORONTO, Sept. 15, 2016 /CNW/ - The Indigo Love of Reading Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of its annual Adopt a School grassroots fundraiser. Running September 18th through October 9th, this three-week program brings together Indigo employees, customers and communities to raise funds in support of local high-needs elementary school libraries. In schools where books are scarce, the goal is simple: add one new book for every student, transform school libraries, and build a brighter future for Canadian kids from coast-to-coast. Since its inception in 2009, the Adopt a School program has put more than 325,000 books into the hands of children across the country.
"Canadian high-needs elementary schools are in crisis," said Ariel Siller, Executive Director of the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation. "These schools severely lack the funds and resources they need to keep libraries up to date and student literacy rates high. In Canada, where a shocking 43% of students leaving high school have insufficient literacy skills to cope with the demands of work and everyday life,[1] the Adopt a School program supports literacy development at a young age, when the impact is greatest. We are proud to provide a program that supports local communities as they put books back at the heart of their school libraries, and inspire a love of reading in every Canadian child."
Since the inception of the program, the annual Adopt a School campaign has raised over $3.7 million to support more than 2,000 Canadian high-needs elementary schools. The program has helped replenish school libraries in every Canadian province and territory, and has impacted the lives of more than 650,000 students. This year, approximately 500 schools with more than 150,000 total students are registered to participate in the program.
To get involved or find out more information about the program, visit adoptaschool.indigo.ca.
How it works:
All participating Indigo, Chapters, and Coles stores have "adopted" a local school to fundraise on its behalf during the three-week campaign period. All adopted schools are high-needs elementary schools that have a library budget of less than $30 per student per year – consequently, these schools often have old, outdated and insufficient library collections. During the campaign, Indigo employees and their communities rally together to raise in-store donations, with each dollar raised going towards transforming their adopted school's library.
In addition to in-store support, the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation provides a free online fundraising platform that is open to more than 200 schools that are adopted by stores, as well as approximately 300 other high-needs elementary schools across Canada. At adoptaschool.indigo.ca, schools can sign up and create a unique profile. Supporters can find a participating school of their choice and donate directly to that school.
New for this year, the Foundation will be offering a matching program through the online platform so donations can go even further. This innovative online program helps participating schools to build awareness of their ongoing work to promote literacy in their schools and the tremendous impact that additional books would have on their students. The online program is a megaphone through which parents' and educators' voices can be amplified to further their fundraising and awareness building goals.
How to support your local school:
Donate!
All schools participating in Adopt a School receive 100% of the donations fundraised in-store and online at adoptaschool.indigo.ca. At the end of the program, the Foundation will provide each school with their funds as an e-gift card. Schools will also receive 30% off all books at Indigo, Chapters and Coles stores.
Book Bonus!
When supporters donate $20, the equivalent value of two books, to a participating school of their choice on adoptaschool.indigo.ca, the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation will contribute a donation of $10, the equivalent of one extra book. For every two books given, the school will receive a third for free!
Tell a Story, Give a Story!
Through adoptaschool.indigo.ca, supporters are also able to provide support to their school of choice, with no donation required. When supporters share a short story on the profile of a participating school and that story is selected to be featured on adoptaschool.indigo.ca, the Foundation will donate a book to that school's library, for free!
About the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation
Indigo Books & Music Inc. founded the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation in 2004 to address the underfunding of public elementary school libraries. To date, the Foundation has committed over $23 million to more than 2,600 schools through its signature programs. Each year the Foundation grants $1.5 million to 25 high-needs elementary schools so they can transform their libraries with the purchase of new books and educational resources. To date, the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation's Literacy Fund has committed $18 million to more than 215 schools nationally. The Foundation's annual grassroots Adopt a School program unites the Foundation with Indigo, its employees, its customers and their communities to raise funds to support high-needs elementary schools across Canada and put even more books into the hands of children. Over the past seven years, the program has raised over $3.7 million to support school libraries, so 650,000 children have a book to call their own. To learn more about the Foundation, visit www.loveofreading.org
[1] Source: http://www.literacy.ca/content/uploads/2012/12/State-of-the-Field-2012.pdf
SOURCE Indigo Love of Reading Foundation
For media requests, images and additional information please contact: Indigo Books & Music Inc., Kate Gregory, [email protected]; MSLGROUP Canada, Marni Zaretsky, [email protected]
Share this article