The first annual Giving Tree Book Drive, hosted by LearningQuest – Stanislaus Literacy Centers, invites community members to visit a Giving Tree site to pick up a tag and donate two to three new books for the child of a LearningQuest student – an adult learner working toward their educational goals. Over 100 children have been signed up to receive the donated books in order to start or add to their home libraries. The book drive ends on Dec. 12th, just in time for students to bring the books home for their children during the holidays and continue the foundation of literacy in the family.
Giving Tree Sites
LearningQuest Learning Center
1032 11th St., Modesto, CA 95354
Stanislaus County Library
1500 I St., Modesto, CA 95354
Turlock Learning Center
1570 Fulkerth Rd., Turlock, CA 95380
The Giving Tree Book Drive was inspired by the many parents enrolled in LearningQuest’s free educational services and the growing research showing the impact of a parent’s education level on the literacy and employment of their child as an adult. Earning a diploma, learning English, or learning how to read and write holds an even greater responsibility when statistics* show:
About 50% of young adults will reach the same level of education as their parents.
Adults with high school educated parents are 11% more likely to be employed than an adult with a parent that did not graduate from high school.
In the U.S., adults with parents without a high school diploma earn a lower income (less than $28,000 a year) than those whose parents have a high school or college diploma.
“The Giving Tree Book Drive is the first phase of the annual Literacy for the Holidays fundraiser where checking “Literacy” off a student’s wish list is made possible due to the contributions of those advocating for education in the community.,” Karen Williams, Executive Director, said. “Keeping LearningQuest services free to access removes one large barrier for many hopeful adults and gives them a real gift for the holidays – the ability to do things often taken for granted, such as read a book to their child, ask a question in English, or apply for a better job.“
*Literacy data provided by the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) and the American Institutes for Research (AIR). Learn more about adult literacy competencies at bit.ly/piaacproject
To learn more about LearningQuest’s Giving Tree Book Drive, click on the bottom below or visit www.LQSLC.com/givingtree