First Book Awards More Than USD 700,000 for New Books and eBooks to Schools and Programs Serving Kids in Need Across Nine States

WASHINGTON

First Book, the nonprofit social enterprise focused on equal access to quality education, has awarded more than USD 700,000 for new books and eBooks to schools and organizations serving more than 200,000 kids in need across nine states in the first cycle of its OMG Books Awards: Offering More Great Books to Spark Innovation program.

The funding will be distributed to more than 110 organizations in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Utah, with 24 organizations receiving significant awards to implement projects ranging from book boxes in police cars, lending libraries in city parks, and curated collections of contemporary, culturally relevant bilingual and Native American books.

Launched in January, First Book's OMG Books Awards is a 33-state and territory initiative that will distribute more than $4.7 million in funding to provide a total of 1.5 million brand new books to children living in low-income communities by the end of 2019. The attorneys general in the 33 eligible states selected First Book to distribute the funds, which can only be used to purchase books and eBooks in those states, as per a court settlement unrelated to First Book. Awardees will receive the funds in the form of credits to use on the First Book Marketplace (www.fbmarketplace.com), First Book's award-winning eCommerce platform that offers thousands of new, contemporary, curated books at low or no cost to educators serving kids in need. Awardees in the remaining 24 states will be announced in July and October, at the conclusion of the second and third competitive RFP cycles.

In the first cycle, First Book received requests for funding equal to more than five times the amount available for awards, demonstrating the chasm of unfulfilled need for books and educational resources in nine initial states. This sizeable gap is evidence of the breakdown in funding of basic learning tools for 32 million children growing up in low-income communities — a crisis that educational research shows to be accelerating, and that is at the core of First Book's mission.

Access to adequate resources is one of the greatest contributors to educational success in the United States, yet low-income communities across the U.S. are plagued by vast 'book deserts'—with one such community having only a single book per 830 children.1 Additionally, 90 percent of First Book member educators responding to a survey agreed that the children in their programs would be more enthusiastic readers if they had access to books with characters, stories, and images that reflect their lives and their neighborhoods.

The profound depth of need in each and every proposal was truly heartbreaking, but the innovation and dedication displayed in each application gave us an equally profound sense of hope, said Kyle Zimmer, president, CEO, and cofounder of First Book. For every child whose potential is compromised by the absence of resources, there is an educator working to put good books in the right places. We cannot underestimate how much that matters. Inspiring a life-long love of reading is essential, and that means creating regular access to books that kids want to read. That's what First Book does, and what the OMG Books Awards program aims to amplify—we spark the innovation that breaks down barriers to education.

Awardees were chosen by an external review committee. Of the 24 major awardees (complete list below):

More than 80 percent represent non-traditional school settings, demonstrating the vast array of efforts to fill the resources gap: Traditional K-12 schools account for 17 percent of the awardees, with the remaining 83 percent representing nonprofit organizations, public and school libraries, out-of-school enrichment and early education programs, multi-agency alliances, or member-based associations.

Nearly 20 percent serve Native American communities.

Urban and rural communities are almost equally represented.

Children under 12 are the most represented group: More than 70 percent of programs serve children under 12.

eBooks are included in nearly half (46 percent) of the proposed programs.

Complete List of OMG Books Major Awardees, Cycle 1

Alabama

Tuscaloosa City Schools

Jefferson County American Federation of Teachers (AFT)

Alabama Partnership for Children

Alaska

United Way of Anchorage

Chugach School District