The 10-year wait for a library in Brooklyn's Public School 81 is over, thanks to HarperCollins. Through education nonprofit Change for Kids, the publisher paid for furniture, paint and supplies, including in-kind donations of more than 1,600 children's books, 35 computers and a printer.
"We have been waiting for this library for 10 years and are so grateful to have it at last," said Cheryl Ault-Baker, principal of P.S. 81. "It is beyond all our expectations and will be the engine of our literacy initiatives. Our children will now read to lead and be able to find their futures on the shelves in this room."
Forty HarperCollins employees spent February 27 and 28 painting the bookshelves royal blue and decorating the library with a nature theme. "We are proud of our employees for their incredible teamwork, creativity, and generosity in giving back to their community and inspiring a new generation of readers," said Erin Crum, HarperCollins v-p of corporate communications. "Our work with Change for Kids and P.S. 81 aligns with HarperCollins's philanthropic goals of supporting learning, reading and writing--as well as the community."
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| Change for Kids executive director Colin Smith, principal of P.S. 81 Cheryl Ault-Barker, Change for Kids staff, HarperCollins volunteers and P.S. 81 honor roll students. | |
Change for Kids assembles "Change Teams" to provide financial support and volunteers for needy New York City schools. As a member of the Change Team for P.S. 81, HarperCollins has helped support an especially troubled school: a majority P.S. 81's students live in temporary housing in a neighborhood with 59% unemployment and five public shelters; and 93% of students are eligible for reduced-cost or free school lunches. The P.S. 81 Change Team also supports Story Pirates Creative Writing and Literacy Tutoring programs.