Gift Shipment of Books Will Soon be Distributed to Children
DALLAS (Sept. 25, 2020) — A total of 21,600 new children’s books arrived in Dallas on Tuesday, a donation to Imagine Science Dallas from The Molina Foundation as learning gifts for children in underserved communities. Imagine Science Dallas is a unique partnership that brings together the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas, Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas, Dallas County 4-H Youth Development and the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas to expose youth who are traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields to informal STEM education that can increase their interest and engagement in STEM.
The 21,600 books were donated by The Molina Foundation’s Families Learning Together program for 2020, an initiative to distribute 1.5 million books worth $13 million to nonprofits and community groups across the nation. The pro-literacy effort is designed to provide free educational resources to help children, parents, and caregivers create word-filled homes through pleasure reading and learning time together during the back-to-school season as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
Elite Fulfillment Solutions is graciously providing the warehouse for storage of the books at no cost until the books are offloaded, sorted and distributed to children across Dallas who participate in the Imagine Science Dallas program and educational programs across Greater Dallas.
Delivery is Part of National Initiative to Promote Reading During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Suzana Delgado-Gray, Imagine Science Project Lead, said that giving children books to keep is an action step that reinforces a positive message about reading. “We consistently tell our families how important reading is,” Delgado-Gray said. “We, as a community organization, have been on a major push to encourage children and families to read together and share stories, especially now during these very difficult times.”
The colorful storybooks feature fun themes and characters and cover a wide range of grades and age levels.
Imagine Science brings together four leading youth organizations to help bridge the STEM gap by igniting the imaginations of these historically underrepresented youth. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas, Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas, Dallas County 4-H Youth Development, and the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas believe that prolonged, informal exposure to STEM increases a child’s interest and builds a foundation for proficiency through high school and beyond. The Molina Foundation is a Southern California-based nonprofit dedicated to the mission of reducing disparities in access to education and health.
