Thanks to all of you Book People, we’re happy to conclude another successful year, and gear up for our next one! By putting nearly 2 million books into the hands of the children who need them most, this year we’ve given more kids the keys to unlocking their brightest futures.

Innovative Approaches: We have just now concluded the post-testing on a two-year research study, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, to improve literacy in high-need school districts by boosting children’s reading achievement over the summer. Through the study, which emphasizes science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics through children’s literature, we’ve given over 760,000 books for impact to 33,000 second-, third-, and fourth-grade students in 173 schools across 16 states. And we’re collecting inspiring stories from teachers and students who are finding even more creative ways to use our books and literacy resources, from farming fun in Kentucky to beach bumming with books in North Carolina. We can’t wait to share even more stories and findings from our research in the coming year!

Power Partner: 2014 marked the 11th year of our partnership with Macy’s and our summer Be Book Smart campaign. Over the past 11 years, Macy’s customers and associates have contributed more than 10 million books for children in need, and this summer alone raised $2.6 million to go toward books for children in underserved communities.

Multicultural Movement: After releasing our seventh annual Multicultural Book Collection this year, we were delighted to see the movement catch even more STEAM with #WeNeedDiverseBooks in May.

A Seuss-y Soiree: Thanks to our many friends and supporters, our 2014 THE CAT IN THE HAT gala raised more than $600,000 in unrestricted funds.

Book Basics: True to RIF’s roots, this year we continued our classic book distributions, in which children are given the chance to select the books of their choosing to read and to keep. Some highlights from this years’ events included ZooFiesta at the Smithsonian Zoo in Washington, DC, where we gave away books and activities with State Farm; our visit to Joint Base Andrews in Prince George’s County, Maryland, serving military families; and the special students we met through the Boys and Girls Club in Dagsboro, Delaware.

Inspired Individuals: The hundreds of thousands of volunteers who dedicate their time and energy to organizing successful book distributions and finding new ways to get kids excited about reading are truly the backbone of RIF. This year, we honored three Volunteers of the Year, whose communities were thrilled to recognize their accomplishments. We were proud to see those same volunteers profiled as part of American Graduate Day, a broadcast highlighting how community organizations can keep kids on the path to graduation.

posted by Ameesha Sampat

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