International Paper and Reading Is Fundamental Continue To Turn the Page Toward Children’s Literacy
Book Celebration Event held at Seaton Elementary School in Washington, DC to kick off the school year.
WASHINGTON, September 29, 2023 /3BL/ - International Paper (IP) and Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) hosted a reading celebration event at Seaton Elementary School in Washington, DC, on September 27, 2023. For more than five years, RIF and IP have partnered to provide 520,000 books to more than 150,000 children across the country to inspire excitement and joy around reading while addressing the alarming literacy crisis in the U.S. through RIF’s flagship Books for Ownership program.
This celebration included 150 kindergarten, first, and second grade students. Connor Brown, Senior Program Associate, Reading Is Fundamental, and Dynisha Woods, Community Engagement Manager, International Paper shared brief remarks to celebrate the importance of reading and kick off the 2023-24 school year. Meaghan Joyce, Director of Political & Advocacy Strategy, International Paper, announced IP’s renewed commitment to RIF’s Race, Equity and Inclusion (REI) matching grants program with a $30,000 donation focused on five REI priority communities, including Washington, DC. Following, Tom Plath, Senior Vice President, Human Resources & Corporate Affairs at International Paper, and RIF Board Member, spent time reading the book “Giraffes Can’t Dance” to the Seaton students. In addition, International Paper’s official spokestree, Pinelope, helped the Seaton Elementary students select three books to grow their home libraries.
“Education is one of International Paper’s key signature causes, and literacy, particularly from birth through 3rd grade, is our primary focus because reading skills form the foundation for all childhood learning. International Paper is proud to support literacy champions like Reading Is Fundamental and their commitment to inspiring a passion for reading among all children,” said Tom Plath, Senior Vice President, Human Resources & Corporate Affairs, and RIF Board Member.
“This partnership enables RIF to deepen our impact in under-resourced communities and enhance the literacy support we offer to educators, families, and children. Together, we are not only sparking reading joy, but giving children the skills they need to succeed in school and beyond. We know that if we build a foundation of joy for children, then development, discovery, and opportunity follow,” said Alicia Levi, RIF’s President & CEO.
IP is committed to the cause of education and is proud to present this $30,000 donation as a result of an IP employee matching gift program. RIF’s Matching Grant program fosters collective impact, empowers local innovation, and creates long-term sustainability centered on providing critical access to books and literacy resources. The national program focuses on leveraging the power of reading to drive systemic change. 2023 grants awarded across IP’s U.S. footprint supported nearly 57,000 students.
The partnership with RIF supports the mission to help children succeed in literacy. These important reading skills form the foundation for all childhood learning.
To support or learn more about Reading Is Fundamental and the Books for Ownership initiative click here.
To learn more about International Paper’s investments in community engagement click here.
About International Paper
International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a global producer of planet-friendly packaging, pulp and other fiber-based products, and one of North America's largest recyclers. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., we employ approximately 39,000 colleagues globally who are committed to creating what's next. We serve customers worldwide, with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, North Africa and Europe. Net sales for 2022 were $21.2 billion. Additional information can be found by visiting internationalpaper.com.
About Reading Is Fundamental
Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) is committed to creating a nation of lifelong readers by inspiring the joy of reading among all children, putting them on the path to becoming skilled readers. We provide free, high-quality content to engage children, educators, families, and literacy advocates in the solution to the U.S. literacy crisis—so that every child has the fundamentals for success. As the nation’s leading children’s literacy nonprofit, RIF has provided nearly 430 million books and reading resources to over 160 million children since 1966, impacting generations of children. Explore our results and learn more about partnering with us at www.RIF.org.
