Last month, The Education Foundation of Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) took our Read in Color program to Baltimore, MD.
“Launching The Education Foundation of Baltimore County Public Schools, Inc.’s Read in Color Initiative means so much to our community,” said Heather Wooldridge, Associate Director of The Foundation. “We are invested in increasing literacy, spreading the love of learning through books, and instilling in our community a sense of acceptance, belonging, and empathy. With this initiative, in partnership with the Little Free Library organization, we are celebrating the rich diversity of our community – we are truly a microcosm of the world. Our students and LFL patrons deserve to see their skin tones, cultures, bodies, and beliefs in the books we provide. And that is exactly what the Read in Color Little Free Library initiative does for the greater Baltimore County community. Thank you, Little Free Library and supporters!”
The partnership enables The Foundation to keep its two brick and mortar collaborative educator resource centers, The Exchangerees: Gizmos and Gadgets Galore, stocked so that teachers and students have the resources and supplies they need to be successful. With support from community partners, The Foundation provides Baltimore County Public Schools, the 22nd largest school system in the United States with 111,000+ students and nearly 10,000 teachers in 176 schools, programs, and centers, with the tools they need to succeed.
The Read in Color initiative has launched in 17 U.S. cities to date, from New York and Washington, D.C. to Atlanta and Phoenix, with plans for even greater expansion next year. More than 200 Read in Color Little Free Libraries and 50,000+ diverse books celebrating Black, Latinx, Asian, Indigenous, LGBTQ+, and other important voices have been shared so far. Learn more and sign the Read in Color pledge!