literacy

Book Harvest Celebrates "Books on Break" Grant

With 78% of children from low-income families in North Carolina not reading proficiently by the end of third grade, literacy advocates say summer reading access is more important than ever.

Southpoint Access

31 Jan 2025 — 2 min read

Thousands of North Carolina elementary school students will have more books to enjoy over the summer thanks to a $250,000 grant awarded to Book Harvest by the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust. The funding will expand the nonprofit’s Books on Break program, which provides children with 10 brand-new books to take home and keep, helping prevent summer learning loss.

With 78% of children from low-income families in North Carolina not reading proficiently by the end of third grade, literacy advocates say summer reading access is more important than ever. Books on Break ensures students - especially those in Title I schools - stay engaged with books outside of the classroom.

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“The Kenan Trust is committed to funding innovative and effective programs in education,” said Nancy J. Cable, executive director of the Kenan Charitable Trust. “The Books on Break program embodies these qualities, and we appreciate the vision of Book Harvest to expand the program across North Carolina.”

The grant will allow Book Harvest to expand Books on Break to another 3,900 students, bringing its total reach to more than 500,000 books distributed over 12 years. More than 90% of participating teachers report that the program supports their literacy goals.

For parents, this expansion means more opportunities for their children to have access to books they are excited to read over the summer. “This grant is a transformative opportunity to scale our proven program,” said Rachel Stine, senior director of Books on Break. “We want to ensure every K-5 student in North Carolina has an enriched summer with books they can keep forever.”

With this latest investment, the Kenan Charitable Trust has contributed $1.75 million to Book Harvest’s mission of literacy and educational equity since 2015. The new funding will help expand outreach efforts and ensure more families across the state have the tools they need to support summer reading at home.

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