Placerita Junior High School students will be receiving brand new books this month through the Santa Clarita Valley Education Foundation’s program called “Page Turners.”

“By providing books to students who would otherwise not be able to afford them or have little access outside of school, we hope to increase literacy and foster a lifetime love of reading,” said Jackie Hartmann, executive director of the Education Foundation.

This program was developed to provide students who have little or no access to books outside of school to pick a book to become their own.

The book giveaway will be held at Placerita Junior High School to high-risk students prioritized by need: socioeconomically disadvantaged, homeless, foster youth, students with disabilities and English Learners.

Selected students will be provided a “golden ticket” inviting them to the event. They will have the opportunity to select books that are all-time favorites for junior high school students. In all, students will be able to choose from nearly 30 different book titles.

This program is being offered due to a generous grant provided by Lockheed Martin AeroCARES. In total, $3,000 in books have been purchased.

A recent 20-year study in 27 different nations by the University of Nevada found that having books in the home is as important as how educated parents are when it comes to a child’s educational attainment. They note that books “especially benefit children from disadvantaged families.”

“Our goal is to positively touch the lives of these students by providing them the gift of literacy. The Foundation would love to be able to provide Page Turners at other junior high schools and is currently looking for donations to help make that happen,” Hartmann said.

If you are interested in helping to provide the gift of literacy, donations can be made at SCV Education Foundation Donations.

The SCV Education Foundation was founded in 1995 to foster relationships between businesses, schools, educators and students and to promote appreciation for public school education in the SCV. Other annual programs include Teacher Innovation Grants, Teacher Tribute, Read with Me, Bag of Books and scholarships to graduating high school students. For more information, visit SCV Education Foundation or call our office at (661) 678-0429.