Wildwood Institute for Social Leadership WISL
About Our Research Partners
In order to achieve our mission of promoting literacy, we engaged the Wildwood Istitute for Social Leadership to survey students at the schools we serve.
Results
The results were overwhelmingly positive and showed that our highly customized book donations are changing attitudes about reading and likely increasing at home reading time.
Attitudes About Reading
88% of students report that they were more excited about reading. Teachers report that 83% of their students are more likely to read for pleasure.
At Home Reading Behavior
57% are reading more with their families.
Next Steps
Research from the READS Lab at Harvard leads us to believe that donating books in addition to providing "nudges" and "tips" will enhance the benefits. This summer we will collaborate with schools to create materials that will give clear suggestions as to "how to read" and nudges to encourage more reading.
Partners
Hindi's Libraries
We partnered with Hindi's Libraries to promote literacy and get books to people who need them.
Cassileth Plastic Surgery and Skincare
This team of amazing doctors sponsored a book drive in December 2020. Their generous staff donated hundreds of diverse books by authors from diverse backgrounds.
Duke University SoCal alumni
We partnered with Duke University SoCal Alumni on a book drive in June 2020 which benefited The Book Truck. We are jointly did a Spring book drive in 2021 to celebrate National Volunteer Month.
LAX Aquarium
LAX Aquarium did a book drive for us in December 2020. They used proceeds from their fundraiser to buy Spanish language books from Usborne Books. These books were donated to Corazon de Vida in Mexico. We so appreciate their support.
Service Groups & Clubs
National Charity League, LA
A partner since 2020, NCL completed numerous book drives and helped collect books for fairs and libraries. NCL also helped wrap books for a Christmas book gift drive for children who have never owned a book.
National League of Young Men
National League of Young Men has been a partner since 2020 when they leveraged our how-to guides to enable volunteers in the West Valley chapter to donate books to The Book Truck which served homeless children. This organization donated more than 550 books that were directly shipped to The Book Truck. They did an organization-wide book drive March 202 and colleted more than 1000 books.
Girl Scouts - various troops
We train Girl Scout troops to do no contact book drives. Troops can use book drives as Take Action projects.
Boy Scouts
We trained Boy Scout troops to do no contact book drives. Boy Scout Troops have collected more than 3000 books for Bookworm Global.
Delaware Valley Fairness Project
We partner with Delaware Valley Fairness Project to build out the home libraries of children in underserved communities of Philadelphia, PA. We have donated approximately 500 books to this organization.
Colonia Middle School World Culture Club
We are working with the students in the World Culture Club on book drives in Colonia, New Jersey.
HBT Hoops
We trained the basketball club founder and administrator how to do online fundraising and a social media book drive to celebrate Juneteenth. June 2020
Volunteer Schools
The Valley School
St. Frances de Sales
The Willows school
The National Junior Honor Society did a book drive during Read Across America week.
The Willows school
St. Frances de Sales
The Willows school
Completing their book drive May 2022
St. Frances de Sales
St. Frances de Sales
St. Frances de Sales
Completing book drive March 2022
Outsanding Ambassador
Noa is our social media manager
Noa has collected and donated thousands of books. she has also helped train others and is always willing to step up to help promote literacy.
Noa & Adar
Collecting books is a family affair. Noa and Adar tirelessly collect and sort books.
Braddock Drive Drop
Noa and Alana dropped thousands of books to Braddock Drive Elementary. The books were distributed to students for home libraries.
Schools We Serve
About Partner Schools
These schools suffer from a lack of educational resources. Most are Title 1 schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District, that have faced decades of disadvantage. They have many English learners and students struggling with literacy. A large percentage of the students live in poverty; many living in housing projects that are the center for gang activity.
A Joy To Give
We Love Inpring Others
