Today we received an update from Kara Gregory, President and Founder of PoWeR! Book Bags, a 501(c)(3) whose mission is to help underserved children with literacy materials and opportunities to Play, Write and Read.
Since 2016 PoWeR! Book Bags has distributed more than 500,000 books to children, along with some 85,000 bags filled with supplies to encourage literacy, language play, writing, creativity, and social interactions. All of the organization's efforts are based on research showing the relationship between certain factors and academic success. The predictors of future success include the number of words a child is exposed to before school, the mother's level of education and the number of books that the pre-school child owns.
To accomplish its goals PoWeR! Book Bags relies upon volunteers as well as other nonprofits including Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and Benzie Sunrise Rotary. More information about the group and its projects is available on its website.