First Book Blog - Education News & Stories

Celebrating Young Changemakers: Meet the Winners of the Time for Change Youth Challenge!

Posted in: Impact Stories, Our Partners

First Book, alongside our friends at Ashoka, are excited to announce the winners of the Time for Change Youth Challenge ! These young innovators from all corners of the U.S. are being awarded $1,000 grants to bring their inspiring ideas to life and make a positive impact in their schools and communities. The Time for C...

First Book and Ashoka Announce 15 Youth Challenge Winners in Time for Change Nationwide Initiative

Posted in: Press Room

$1,000 grants spotlight student action to implement community-based solutions and embrace changemaking Washington, D.C. (March 28, 2024) – Today, First Book and Ashoka, leading organizations in educational equity and social entrepreneurship, have announced the 15 grand prize winners of the Time for Change Youth Challen...

First Book Named to The New York Times Communities Fund

Posted in: Press Room

The New York Times Communities Fund continues the legacy of “The Neediest Cases Fund” by supporting local, national and global nonprofits that provide direct support to under-resourced and over-burdened people NEW YORK (Nov. 14, 2023) -- Today, The New York Times Communities Fund announced that First Book will be featu...

First Book, General Motors, and Blue Star Families partner to distribute 35,000 STEM books to military families and local educators

Posted in: Press Room

National organizations spurring interest in STEM careers among communities historically underrepresented in STEM fields WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 9, 2023) – On November 11, in partnership with Blue Star Families, First Book and General Motors are hosting a Veteran’s Day STEM Book Family Festival to distribute 35,000 d...

National Nonprofit Driving Educational Equity with Virtual WGT by Topgolf Tournament

Posted in: Press Room

First Book launches inaugural charity event to bolster educational resources in Title I Schools WASHINGTON, Oct. 13, 2023 — In partnership with Topgolf and World Golf Tour (WGT), First Book is launching the inaugural First Book Open virtual golf tournament. The interactive, online charity event offers a fun, innovative...

New First Book Study Tackles National Issue of Banned Books

Posted in: Press Room

More than 1,500 educators report on book bans and the damaging impact they are having on teacher morale and student learning WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 3, 2023) – In a new study released by First Book Research & Insights , educators report that the national conversation around book challenges and bans is negatively impa...

National Coalition Announces Commitment at Clinton Global Initiative 2023 Meeting to Distribute 600,000 Diverse Children’s Books

Posted in: Press Room

Announcement on collective action comes as First Book study reveals significant academic benefits of diverse books NEW YORK (September 19, 2023) – At the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) 2023 meeting today, the Diverse Books for All Coalition presented an urgent plan designed to ensure that our increasingly diverse popu...

Diverse Books for All Coalition Partners with MomsRising to Support Parent Engagement

Posted in: Press Room

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Aug. 9, 2023) – The Diverse Books for All Coalition, a national collaboration of 38 nonprofits working to tackle the lack of affordable, diverse children’s books, is partnering with MomsRising to bring the insights and perspective of parents to help shape the Coalition’s work. As part of that mandate...

Time for Change Youth Challenge Announced

Posted in: For Educators, Our Partners

First Book and Ashoka are excited to welcome educators back to the Time for Change initiative by kicking off the school year with a BIG announcement. Time for Change is a multi-year initiative in partnership with Ashoka and Audemars Piguet. We're working together to equip educators and young people with resources to in...

Leading Education Organizations Launch Reading Universe Prototype to Help Teachers Build a Nation of Confident Readers

Posted in: Press Room

WETA, the Barksdale Reading Institute, and First Book join forces to establish a free, innovative professional development platform that provides educators with evidence-based guidance and tools for how to teach reading and writing Washington, D.C. (July 25, 2023) - WETA, the Barksdale Reading Institute, and First Book...