With a Book-a-Day, We Can Change the World

Funded Sep 5, 2021

I want to thank you again for funding my project. These books have made a major impact on my students. We live in a mostly white, Christian, upper middle class town. The idea of white privilege has really impacted me since the BLM movement began. I have been examining my own white privilege as well as trying to educate myself about people that look, sound, worship, and spend differently than me. These books have helped me to introduce my students to characters whose lives are different than ours.

I began the year being very vulnerable and honest with my students telling them about my white privilege. Reading books such as Bowwow Powwow by Brenda Child and Harlem Grown by Tony Hillery helped expose students to different cultures. Students were amazed that the characters in Harlem Grown had no idea where tomatoes and other vegetables were grown. The book All Are Welcome helped to expose students to kids that look different and have different abilities than we do. The poster included in the book hangs on our classroom door. Finally, Just Ask by Sonia Sotomayor encouraged students to ASK if you don't understand the another person's culture or disability. SEEK TO UNDERSTAND!

Our board is almost half-full and the students look forward to each morning and the new book that we get to read. If I forget to put the book cover on the board, they will for sure remind me. This project has given new life to my classroom and to my teaching. These students will be better global citizens because of this. THANK YOU!”

With gratitude,

Ms. Covington