Category Archive: First Book Research & Insights

Reflecting on 2024: How First Book Research & Insights Amplified Educator Voices and Drove Change 

Posted in: First Book Research & Insights, For Educators

As we welcome 2025, we take a moment to reflect on the strides made toward educational equity in 2024. Throughout the year, First Book’s educator community played a pivotal role in shaping key initiatives and expanding access to critical resources for students in need.  Through surveys, focus groups, and ongoing... Read more

How Book Bans Are Impacting Teachers and Students: Insights from First Book Research & Insights

Posted in: First Book Research & Insights, For Educators

Over the last several years, book bans and restrictions have dramatically increased across the United States. Organizations like the American Library Association (ALA) and PEN America have been tracking these trends, but there has been little data on how these efforts to limit access to books are affecting educators and... Read more

Research & Insights: 2022 Highlights & Network Impact

Posted in: First Book Research & Insights

First Book is a nonprofit social enterprise that strives to support students and educators in low-income communities by providing brand-new, high-quality books. We also strive to support these communities by providing additional resources that meet the needs of educators today. Our primary audience is our growing Network, which currently includes... Read more

Research & Insights: 2021 Highlights & Network Impact

Posted in: First Book Research & Insights

Since 1992, First Book has distributed more than 225 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income communities. First Book currently reaches an average of 5 million children every year and supports more than a third of the estimated 1.3 million classrooms and programs serving... Read more

Back to School: How to Create a Welcoming Environment

Posted in: First Book Research & Insights, For Educators

At the beginning of a new school year, creating a classroom and a space where students and families feel welcome and comfortable is important. First Book has taken extra care to create resources and space for educators working diligently to help all students feel welcome. The First Book Marketplace is... Read more

First Book Study Discloses Educator Priorities for American Rescue Plan Funding

Posted in: First Book Research & Insights, Press Room

With American Rescue Plan Funding Arriving for Back to School, New First Book Study Reveals That 97 Percent of Educators Want to Give Input on Funding Allocation, 75 Percent Have Not Yet Had the Opportunity to Do So Report Discloses Educators’ Out-of-Pocket Spending in 2020 and their Priorities for American... Read more

Empowering Educators: ABAR Teaching in Action

Posted in: First Book Research & Insights, For Educators, Our Partners

In 2019, First Book surveyed its network of educators, with the intention to provide additional resources that would help them proactively engage their students in conversations about race. These findings helped create a series of free resources that were informed by leading anti-bias and antiracist (ABAR) experts like Britt Hawthorne,... Read more

How First Book Advances Racial Equity Through Innovative Partnerships

Posted in: First Book Research & Insights, Focus on First Book, Thought Leadership

Guest post written by Kyle Zimmer, President, CEO & Co-founder of First Book. Kyle is a member of the Forbes Nonprofit Council. This article was originally published on Forbes. The events of the past year have created a tipping point in the fight for racial justice. As a nation, we... Read more

How Trauma Is Impacting Children in the Classroom

Posted in: First Book Research & Insights, For Educators

In a recent survey of educators, we asked our network of educators about the impact of COVID-19 on students. The results show that kids are preoccupied with the pandemic, worried about their friends and family, and concerned about their own health. The survey confirmed what teachers and parents already know—the... Read more

We Asked, You Answered: First Book Research & Insights in 2019

Posted in: First Book Research & Insights, Focus on First Book

In 2019, we conducted more than 20 surveys and collected more than 9,000 responses. Below, you'll find the top insights from the year--this is what you told us mattered last year, and we're working to be as supportive as possible in response. Read more