The bestselling author donated $5,000 for the school's library
PINE HILL -- Overbrook High School received a $5,000 grant from bestselling author James Patterson to support its school library. In addition, Scholastic Reading Club will match each dollar of Patterson's donation with "bonus points" that teachers can use to acquire books and other materials for their classrooms. Overbrook High School was selected amongst thousands of applications for funding grants.
James Patterson and Scholastic Reading Club announced in March 2016 that Patterson would donate $1.75 million to save school libraries nationwide in the second installment of his School Library Campaign. As part of an ongoing effort to keep books and reading a number one priority in the United States, selected school libraries will be receiving grants ranging from $1,000 to $10,000. Since the grant program's launch in 2015, Patterson has donated $3.5 million to school libraries nationwide, with all funds are being personally donated by Patterson.
"We could not be more excited and extremely grateful to Mr. James Patterson and Scholastic Inc. for supporting the library media center at Overbrook High School! In this world of social media and technology, it is critical to engage our teens, instill a love of reading, and provide the foundation for college and the 21st century. We plan to use these funds to update our collection to both appeal to our teens and offer resources that will help prepare them for their future, including: graphic novels, sports, high-interest nonfiction, college guides and test prep books. Thank you so much for your support of school libraries!" -- Mrs. Sharon Nadelbach, Library Media Specialist
In the first-ever partnership of its kind, Patterson joined forces with Scholastic Reading Club to administer funding applications to their network of 62,000 schools and 800,000 teachers. Schools entering were asked to share the story of their school library, including past efforts to make improvements and "great ideas to help create a brighter future." Patterson personally read and selected the winning recipients of the grants. Based on past winners, school libraries across the country have been using this funding to purchase new books, add bookshelves, make improvements to their catalog systems, and expand their programing The full list of grant recipients is available online at www.scholastic.com/pattersonpartnership/recipients.
This item submitted by Sharon Nadelback for Overbrook Senior High School.
