First Book Blog - Education News & Stories

First Book’s Network of Educators Reaches Half a Million Strong

Posted in: Focus on First Book

Guest post written by Kyle Zimmer, President, CEO & Co-founder of First Book Something amazing happened on October 31, 2020. Hopi Relief, a nonprofit established to assist people in the Hopi villages disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, became the 500,000th member of the First Book Network ! Reaching half a million...

Georgia-based Books for Keeps pivots, innovates, & delivers 68,500 books to students for summer reading

Posted in: Impact Stories, Our Partners

The following is a guest blog post written by our partner Books for Keeps. Books are a torch during times of darkness and human searching. In March of this year, as the skies over our world seemed to turn black, and we all wondered what would happen next, Books for Keeps in Athens, Georgia, looked at the 80,000 books i...

Books that Make Math - MATHICAL!

Posted in: Impact Stories, Our Partners

Books unlock new worlds for readers of all ages – and for some students in the Oakland, California area, those new worlds are MATHICAL! That’s because, thanks to support from the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI), 93 educators in the First Book Network from California’s Alameda County received credits to...

Pizza Hut Chief Executive Officer Artie Starrs Joins First Book Board of Directors

Posted in: Press Room

Sept. 29, 2020 (WASHINGTON) – Artie Starrs, the Chief Executive Officer of Pizza Hut, has joined the board of directors of Washington, D.C.-based First Book, a national nonprofit social enterprise focused on equal access to quality education. First Book and Pizza Hut have worked together for the past four years through...

Resources to Support Educators in These Unprecedented Times

Posted in: Focus on First Book, For Educators, Our Partners

This school year looks different than any other and that can be stressful and worrisome for both educators and students alike. Educators of kids in need are facing their greatest challenge yet as the pandemic worsens existing barriers to education. Earlier this year, we distributed a First Book Research & Insights surv...

First Book Offers ‘Practitioner-Centered’ Back-To-School Resources To Meet The Needs Of Kids And Educators Wherever School Happens

Posted in: Press Room

Resources Developed in Response to Educator Feedback on Barriers to Education WASHINGTON, DC – August 27, 2020 – With the school year upon us, educators serving children in need are facing their greatest challenge yet, as the pandemic exacerbates existing barriers to education and the national conversation on racial in...

First Book Resource: Diversity In STEM Calendar

Posted in: For Educators, Our Partners

Kids learn better when they feel seen and supported in the classroom. At First Book, our primary focus is to ensure all kids feel welcome by giving them new and exciting ways to think about their talents, interests, and future careers. That’s one of the reasons why we have created the 2023-2024 Celebrating Diversity &...

Supporting Students Coping with Grief and Loss During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Posted in: For Educators

As educators prepare to resume classes and programs, student mental health is an incredibly important concern. In a survey of First Book educators, 91% of respondents said they were “very or extremely” concerned about the mental/social-emotional health of children and families they serve – especially as schools and pro...

PIZZA HUT AND FIRST BOOK LAUNCH COLLECTION OF ANTIRACISM RESOURCES FOR EDUCATORS

Posted in: Press Room

Leading experts provide educators with practical guidance and actionable steps for creating equity in the classroom PLANO, Texas, August 19, 2020 – Pizza Hut and First Book today announced the launch of Empowering Educators – a collection of resources developed to provide educators with guidance and actionable steps to...

Books Bring Smiles to Veterans and their Families During the Pandemic

Posted in: Impact Stories, Our Partners, First Book Communit Highlight

First Book regularly works with programs that support the military and their families – and this spring, we launched additional outreach to support veterans. With the COVID-19 restrictions, veterans receiving care in VA hospitals and facilities across the country are experiencing extended stays and limited social inter...