Books for Collier Kids (BCK) was recently awarded a $2,500 grant from the First Horizon Foundation.
“Books in the home allow children to bond with loved ones, experience new adventures, explore other worlds and develop reading skills crucial for success in school and life,” explains Chair Sallie Williams. “We’re grateful for this generous First Horizon Foundation grant ensuring more books in the hands, homes and hearts of Collier kids.”
The grant provides new, age-appropriate books for each child in one classroom of each grade of students (pre-K through 2nd grade) in one Collier County Title I Public School for the 2024-2025 school year. Books in every home are crucial the wellbeing of children, families and communities:
- Without a steady stream of books in the home, children are at higher risk for academic failure, delinquency, teenage pregnancy, substance abuse, unemployment, low productivity and welfare dependency
- Low-income children without books in the home return to fall classes with reading scores 30% lower than those with steady access to books (called Summer Slide)
- By the end of 5th grade, at-risk kids are nearly 3 grades behind in reading skills
- More than 90+% of children in Collier County’s Title I elementary schools are economically disadvantaged and benefit from BCK’s free book program
First Horizon Foundation is a private charitable foundation of First Horizon Corporation launched in 1993. The Foundation supports communities in The South with grants in arts, education, environment, financial literacy, health and human services. First Horizon has donated more than $100 million in the communities it serves: FirstHorizonFoundation.com.