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This grant will benefit Lehigh Valley Reads, as well as Lehigh Valley Public Media education department initiatives.
Bethlehem, PA. – December 18, 2020 – Lehigh Valley Reads and Lehigh Valley Public Media have been selected to receive an award of $13,820, from the national nonprofit First Book, via a program partnership between WITF and United Way of Pennsylvania. The grant will be used to distribute new books and support several of Lehigh Valley Reads and Lehigh Valley Public Media initiatives.
“We are honored and extremely grateful to receive this generous grant from First Book,” Tim Fallon, Chief Executive Officer of Lehigh Valley Public Media said. “This grant will allow us to provide the resources and access needed to continue educating the families that we serve.”
First Book is a nonprofit social enterprise focused on equal access to quality education for children in need. The funds were awarded as part of First Book’s OMG Books Awards: Offering More Great Books to Spark Innovation, a program that will give more than $4.7 million in funding to distribute 1.5 million brand new books and eBooks to children living in low-income communities.
“We know that access to books and eBooks makes a significant difference in a child’s future success,” said Kyle Zimmer, First Book president, CEO, and cofounder. “Children do not thrive in deeply under-resourced environments and too many of the schools and programs have far too little. This deprivation has long-term consequences for the children, their families, their communities and our nation. This could not be more urgent. With the OMG Books Awards, First Book and Lehigh Valley Public Media are investing not only in the future of the kids we’re reaching, but in the overall wellbeing of our nation.”
The Lehigh Valley Reads initiative is a regional literacy campaign powered by Lehigh Valley Public Media and United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, to ensure all Lehigh Valley students read on grade level by the end of third grade, by 2025. The Lehigh Valley Reads team will distribute books received from this grant, through the Talk, Read, Sing initiative, by reaching out to local Spanish-speaking communities. Talk, Read, Sing is a national awareness campaign that empowers families to be their baby’s first teacher by talking, reading and singing to them every day. Additionally, Lehigh Valley Public Media’s education team will distribute books to the Raising Readers programs in South Bethlehem and Center City Allentown, school Literacy Nights, and at Book Nooks in businesses throughout South Bethlehem.
Eligible educators, librarians, providers, and others serving children in need can sign up to receive resources from First Book outside of OMG Books Awards at firstbook.org/join. For more information, please visit firstbook.org or follow the latest news on Facebook and Twitter.
About Lehigh Valley Public Media™
Lehigh Valley Public Media™, home of PBS39/WLVT, WLVR, and WPPT, acts as the catalyst to promote civic engagement, and to fulfill the regional needs of the Greater Lehigh Valley, through its dynamic communication platforms and resources. The Reporter Corps® creates community-focused content for PBS39 News Tonight, digital platforms, and WLVR. Lehigh Valley Public Media and the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley are partnering to fund and fulfill the regional literacy initiative Lehigh Valley Reads. This campaign is working to ensure all Lehigh Valley students read on grade level by the end of third grade by 2025. Lehigh Valley Public Media is a community-owned public media organization serving eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. LVPM is licensed in Allentown to the Lehigh Valley Public Telecommunications Corporation. For more information, visit PBS39.org.
About First Book
First Book believes education offers children in need the best path out of poverty. Through sustainable, market-driven models, First Book breaks down barriers to quality education by making new, high-quality books and educational resources, including sports equipment, winter coats, snacks, and more affordable to its member network of more than 400,000 registered educators who exclusively serve kids in need. Since 1992, First Book has distributed more learning materials than any other program of its kind: 175 million books and educational resources, worth more than $1.5 billion, reaching more than 5 million children annually across the U.S and Canada.
First Book also expands the breadth and depth of the education field through a family of social enterprises, including First Book Research & Insights, its proprietary research initiative, and the First Book Accelerator, which brings best-in-class research to the classroom via relevant, usable educator resources.
Eligible educators, librarians, providers, and others serving children in need can sign up at firstbook.org/join. For more information, please visit firstbook.org or follow the latest news on Facebook and Twitter.
About United Way of Pennsylvania
United Way fights for the health, education and financial stability of every person in every community. In 2017, United Ways in Pennsylvania raised nearly $170 million for local communities. The United Way of Pennsylvania is a 501(c)(3) was created in 1966 as Community Services of PA, and was renamed in 1979. It is a membership organization whose purpose is to assist and champion the efforts of local United Ways in advancing the common good. Other charitable organizations known as United Funds or Community Chests also can be members of UWP.
UWP engages and connects local United Ways with resources that will help them address their community needs. UWP serves as the voice for 46 member United Ways across the commonwealth on state public policy issues that relate to community impact work in education, income and health.
About Pennsylvania Public Television (PPT)
Pennsylvania Public Television consists of seven public television stations which bring PBS and educational events to Pennsylvania. Public television reaches over 2,300,000 persons per week reaching large diverse, rural and underserved audiences. Last year, nearly 1,400 teachers received training and over 200,000 students, parents, and teachers participated in educational events. Partner stations include WITF/Harrisburg, WHYY/Philadelphia, WLVT/Allentown, WVIA/Scranton, WPSU/State College, WQED/Pittsburgh, and WQLN/Erie.
Information provided to TVL by:
Victoria Scialfa
Marketing and Public Relations Manager
Lehigh Valley Public Media
