Urban Students Need Contemporary Novels by Writers of Color
Help me give my students 75 copies of contemporary novels written by writers of color that reflect and affirm their experiences.
$1,431 goal
Hooray! This project is fully funded
Hooray! This project is fully funded
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My students are creative, critical thinkers who are leaders in the quest for social justice. We are a large urban 6-12 public school, where 100% of our students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Our students hail from Washington, DC, and over 40 countries. They speak a multitude of languages and bring a multitude of experiences that add to the multicultural fabric of our special community. Many of our students are immigrants who have to fight to learn a new language and succeed in a society that does not always welcome them. Despite obstacles such as systemic racism, housing inequities, and food access, our students have been incredibly successful in graduating from high school, winning prestigious scholarships, and attending renowned universities. They are truly an inspiration.
Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the inequities our students face every day in cities and countries where the divide between rich and poor refuses to shrink.
Many of our students lack access to technology. Equally unjust, they lack access to books. Moreover, it is hard for many students to prioritize school now given the fact that the pandemic has had a devastating impact on communities of color.
My Project
Our students are facing many technological inequities that make online learning, especially reading instruction very difficult. Even when E-books are available, they are difficult to come by and are often canonical books by white writers. In these trying times, our students need to see their identities celebrated on the page. I wish you could see how much our students love reading and how excited they become they will receive a new book.
You have the opportunity to further instill a love of reading in our students by exposing them to diverse contemporary voices that challenge preconceived notions and systems that have for too long impeded the progress of our brilliant students.
Our students are still coming to school to pick up lunch. With your help, they will also be able to pick up books that will help them complete their summer reading project. With school ending early, our students are potentially facing three months without learning. A high summer reading turn in rate will be key in preventing even further learning losses during these trying times. The key to a high summer reading turn in rate is putting books in the hands of students, especially books that connect to their experiences and cultures. These books will go on to become a permanent part of our Independent Reading initiative, with hundreds of students benefitting from your generosity. I have no doubt that these books will inspire our students to continue to speak the truth to power and demand that their voices be heard.
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