For International Literacy Day, the Literacy Alliance of the Shuswap Society (LASS) celebrated by donating 4,500 books to Shuswap classroom libraries.
Canadian school libraries are often underfunded and under stocked, with many annual budgets only allowing for one new book for every three children.
School District 83 teachers were excited to receive the books, which were shared among students in their classrooms.
The donation came at a good time as the district is embarking on a new literacy program this year, hoping to provide more in-classroom support to struggling readers.
LASS has launched its One-to-One reading program in 15 SD83 schools, with 62 tutors providing about 120 hours of one-to-one reading tutoring each week to 423 students.
Earlier this year, LASS also partnered with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to deliver books to every child in the program once a month until their fifth birthday. It has recently signed up its 600th child, and has delivered 4,372 books this year.
LASS is a non-profit organization providing adult, family, and children’s literacy programming throughout the Shuswap. To learn more about the programs or to volunteer, call 250-463-4555 or visit www.shuswapliteracy.ca
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