The complete level of devastation to the northeast left by Hurricane Sandy still remains to be calculated in terms of dollar amounts, but new emotional losses are arising every day as the region and its displaced people begin to rebuild. One of the many impacted categories is the educational setting; with more than twenty schools in New York City alone still closed due to damage from the flood water, many educators can’t even get inside their schools to see what valuable educational resources survived.
Scholastic, the world’s largest publisher of children’s books and educational materials, is responding to the loss from schools in New York and New Jersey with a donation of one million books to help rebuild the schools’ libraries, as well as making educator materials like lesson plans available to teachers who have lost decades’ worth of accumulated instructional materials.
“The educators, parents and caregivers, who are helping children in our hard hit communities throughout the region, are true heroes,” said Richard Robinson, Chairman, President and CEO, Scholastic, said in a press release. “All of us at Scholastic are committed to getting these books, lesson plans and other learning materials into the affected communities as soon as possible in the hope that we can provide support for our young people as they return to schools that need extra resources.”
In additional the online resources Scholastic has made available to help children recover from the emotional trauma of the storm and its damage, Scholastic is working with Kids In Distressed Situations, Inc. to distribute the books and materials. Schools who wish to apply for grants for books from Scholastic can click here.
Mercy Pilkington is a Senior Editor for Good e-Reader. She is also the CEO and founder of a hybrid publishing and consulting company.
