The directors of the Snapdragon Book Foundation are excited to announce Jane Edwards Elementary School in Edisto Island, South Carolina as our “Next Up” school for 2021.  This school would have received a grant back in April if we had the funds and will now receive 100% of the donations to The Snapdragon Book Foundation during the month of September. Our goal is to raise $1,176.99 to fully fund their library project, Opening Windows to the World Through Reading. The purpose of this project is to allow students to experience the diversity of the world through an all-inclusive library collection.

Jane Edwards Elementary School is a small, rural Title 1 school that serves a diverse community.  The school has 70 students from a wide variety of backgrounds and does all it can to help them learn about the world and the people in it. However, their book collection is aging and does not represent the reality of the students, the community they live in, or the world at large. Teacher-Librarian Jill Smith notes that all of the students know and support each other as brothers and sisters. She wants to foster this respect and help it grow by providing new books selected specifically to challenge the students to identify problems, brainstorm realistic solutions, and engage in design processes all while reinforcing literacy skills. Books that celebrate inclusivity and diversity like “Amira’s Picture Day” and “It’s OK to be Different” will be read during storytime and featured in the library. Students will grow their compassion for others by reading “We Could be Heroes” and “Some Kids Use Wheelchairs.” This project will help students see themselves in books as well as letting them look through “windows” and learn about characters who live different lives, with an end goal of helping the students realize that we are not so different after all. Miss Jane Edwards, the school’s namesake, knew this in 1954 when she said, “Reading is the key that unlocks the door to everything.”

With your support, The Snapdragon Book Foundation’s Next Up campaign will be able to help the students at Jane Edwards Elementary School by funding their project, Opening Windows to the World through Reading. Throughout September, we will broadcast updates about the “Next Up” fundraiser and more information about Jane Edwards on our social media feeds and website (www.snapdragonbookfoundation.org). Please take a look and support the cause by donating today!