NCFL and Toyota support literacy through nationwide book distribution
Longtime partners NCFL and Toyota are spotlighting the importance of literacy by distributing more than 85,000 books to 2,000 families nationwide. The effort ties into Toyota’s holiday ad “Bookstore,” which shares the heartwarming story of a young girl who gets inspired to collect gently used books from her community to restock her favorite local bookstore after it’s devastated by a fire. Watch the ad by clicking here.
Each family will receive a weekly bundle of books to create a home library that supports reading as an activity that family members can carry out with each other. The books are intended for emerging readers and their parenting adults to support the literacy skills needed to succeed in school while increasing the number of books in the home.
“Research shows that children whose families have access to books and incorporate a daily habit of reading are primed for literacy proficiency and lifelong learning,” said Mike Goss, general manager, Toyota Social Innovation and president of the Toyota USA Foundation. “Together with NCFL, this holiday season, we will be able to get more books into the hands of families who may not have easy access to reading materials.
All books distributed through this holiday campaign are culturally responsive to the diverse communities across the country. Families also will have access to a digital library of books that provide narration in over 50 languages.
NCFL’s President, Dr. Felicia C. Smith, emphasized the importance of providing culturally relevant, meaningful, and quality texts to families. She said, “As NCFL partners with communities nationwide to extend learning beyond school walls and with families, we need rich literacy resources that keep students and their parenting adults engaged. Families are more likely to cultivate a daily habit of reading when they can connect with and relate to literacy content.”
The holiday campaign and book donations were highlighted last night during NBC’s annual tree lighting special, “Christmas in Rockefeller Center.” The 2021 Toyota Family Teacher of the Year, Manoucheka Dolcine from Broward County, Florida, and her family appeared live at the event. The Toyota Family Teacher of the Year is an annual partnership event between Toyota and NCFL where an educator is awarded $20,000 in recognition of innovative instruction efforts that engage multiple generations of family members in the education process.