This week, 30 high-needs elementary schools across Canada learned that they would benefit from the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation's annual $1.5 million in Literacy Fund grants. Indigo, Chapters and Coles stores across the country hosted community celebrations at their local grant school, where they revealed the grant amount and honoured the school's achievements and dedication to literacy.
From sparking imagination to developing literacy skills at an early age, books play a crucial role in the lives of children and help them achieve future success. Many students across Canada have limited access to books at home and they rely on their schools to provide early exposure to books and ignite a love of reading. Unfortunately, due to inadequate public funding, Canadian elementary schools struggle with offering healthy libraries that contain new and engaging material.
"The pervasive lack of books in Canadian high-needs elementary schools creates a devastating roadblock for many educators as they strive to teach their students to read," said Ariel Siller, Executive Director of the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation. "Our goal is to bridge the public funding gap and offer Canadian teachers and students the books and literacy resources they need to create powerful and enriching learning environments. Thanks to the support of Indigo employees and customers, we have the incredible opportunity to make a difference in the lives of thousands of children and inspire them to fall in love with reading."
The Indigo Love of Reading Foundation's grants provide high-needs schools with an opportunity to grow their libraries and place more books in the hands of children in their communities. In addition to replacing resources that are damaged beyond repair as well as books with outdated material that are often 20 or more years old1, teachers and students can choose books that reflect the needs of their classrooms and communities, thereby strengthening a love of reading, as well as impacting their educational and future successes.
As a result of this year's Literacy Fund grants, over 9,000 students across the country will attend schools that have funds for more than 150,000 books over the next three years.
The 2019 Indigo Love of Reading Foundation Literacy Fund grant recipients:
- Abbott School, Alberta
- Ashmont School, Alberta
- Ted Harrison School, Alberta
- Airport Elementary School, British Columbia
- Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw School, British Columbia
- Lord Roberts Elementary, British Columbia
- Pearson Road Elementary, British Columbia
- Lord Nelson School, Manitoba
- Victor Mager School, Manitoba
- École Soleil Levant, New Brunswick
- Port Elgin Regional School, New Brunswick
- Larkhall Academy, Newfoundland and Labrador
- Charles Tetcho School, Northwest Territories
- Chief Julius School, Northwest Territories
- Fairview Heights Elementary, Nova Scotia
- Leo Ussak Elementary School, Nunavut
- Blaydon Public School, Ontario
- Grenoble Public School, Ontario
- Gulfstream Public School, Ontario
- Killaloe Public School, Ontario
- King George School, Ontario
- Prince Edward Public School, Ontario
- Westwood Primary School, Prince Edward Island
- École Victor-Côté, Québec
- École primaire Sainte-Bibiane, Québec
- Flemming Elementary School, Québec
- St. Gabriel, Québec
- Tsi Snaihne School, Québec
- Seven Stones Community School, Saskatchewan
- St. Michael School, Saskatchewan
Now in its 15th year, the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation has committed more than $31 million to over 3,000 high-needs elementary schools across the country through all of its programs, impacting over one million Canadian children. Schools interested in applying for the 2020 Literacy Fund grant can learn more at www.loveofreading.org.
1 Source: Love of Reading Literacy Fund grant applications.
