Jefferson Elementary School celebrates Read Across PASadena and National Read Across America Week with the grand opening of four Little Free Libraries on Friday, March 3, 2017 at 8:00 a.m. The grand opening celebration takes place in front of the school, located at 1500 E. Villa St. Pasadena. Little Free Libraries are “take a book, return a book” free book exchanges that increase access to books, inspire a love of reading, and build community.
Following the ceremony, local realtors will read to children as part of Read Across PASadena, a district-wide event inspired by Collaborate PASadena and sponsored by the Pasadena Educational Foundation (PEF) to strengthen connections between the realtor community of the greater Pasadena area and Pasadena Unified schools.
Jefferson Elementary School parents, students, and staff assembled, painted, and placed the three Little Free Libraries around the school. The little libraries will be stocked with books in English and Spanish since Jefferson Elementary is home to one of Pasadena Unified’s Spanish dual language immersion programs.
The little libraries were funded by a grant awarded to Jefferson teacher Kathy Marquez by the Pasadena Educational Foundation (PEF).
“The Little Free Library motto is ‘take a book – return a book,’” said Ms. Marquez. “Choice is an important part of the independent literacy activities students participate in every day, and the the libraries create exciting opportunities to choose a book that stirs their interest and take it home until they are ready to exchange it for another.”
Ms. Marquez was awarded the Jarratt Brunson Memorial Award for Literacy, which was created in honor of the PEF member who initiated the the foundation’s Teacher Grant Program. PEF’s Teacher Grants program is supported by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation, and the community.
The Little Free Library nonprofit organization has been honored by the Library of Congress, the National Book Foundation, and the American Library Association. Reader’s Digest named them one of the “50 Surprising Things We Love about America.” Each year, nearly 10 million books are shared in Little Free Libraries. To learn more, please visit littlefreelibrary.org.
Read Across PASadena: Grand Opening of Jefferson Elementary School’s Little Free Libraries Grand Opening Ceremony will be held on Friday, March 3, 8:00 a.m. at Jefferson Elementary School (1500 E. Villa St, Pasadena).
About the Pasadena Educational Foundation
Pasadena Educational Foundation (PEF) is a nonprofit organization that advocates for public education, engages the community, and develops resources to support excellent education for every Pasadena Unified School District student. Whether it be through the arts, music, health centers, gardens, or STEM programs they support, PEF is dedicated to creating a better future for the public school students of Altadena, Pasadena, and Sierra Madre. pased.org
