Throughout the pandemic, BLG has continued to help children improve their reading skills thanks to the BLG Reads to Kids program.
The BLG Reads to Kids (RTK) regional committees joined forces to donate their time, resources and books, ensuring kids get the help they need despite the challenges brought on by COVID-19.
Calgary’s BLG Reads to Kids Committee pivoted its program to offer virtual reading to students.
“The school representatives were pleased with the program this year, and are open to continuing to run it virtually,” said Valeria Baptie, an associate and member of the Calgary RTK committee.
“The kids seemed to get more one-on-one time, since there were more volunteers,” Valeria continued. “Their confidence also increased from interacting with trusted adults and regularly using technology.”
BLG also donated to the school to help cover the costs of books and other much-needed resources.
While schools in other provinces could not accommodate virtual reading, the regional committees supported children’s literacy through donations.
The Montréal committee donated to three area schools, while the Ottawa committee chose to send its donation to longstanding partner, the Ottawa Network for Education.
The Toronto committee directed their Toronto District School Board (TDSB) donation to the Technology in Schools Fund, in order to support students' computing needs. During the school closures, TDSB had to distribute devices to families in need. They are now looking to restock on technology as the demand from students continues to grow.
Vancouver’s RTK Committee contributed early reader and young adult books to an elementary school in East Vancouver. A second donation also went to support a school library in Surrey.
About BLG Reads to Kids
BLG Reads to Kids launched in 2003 to support literacy for underserved youth across the country. Since then, more than 300 volunteers have donated countless hours in classrooms across Canada. With a specific focus on high-need schools, we also supplement the program with book donations and other activities in regions that are short on resources and other materials.
Visit our Community Involvement page to learn more about BLG’s additional charitable initiatives.