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First Book and Barclays Promote Financial Literacy and College Readiness
North Star Academy receives book donation from the organizations
First Book and Barclays Promote Financial Literacy and College Readiness
North Star Academy receives book donation from the organizations
Published 11-09-10
Submitted by First Book
First Book and Barclays are expanding their joint commitment to provide brand new educational resources focused on financial literacy and college readiness to students in low-income communities. With support from Barclays, a major global financial services provider, First Book will launch an entire content area dedicated to financial literacy and college readiness on the First Book Marketplace, the nonprofit's online storefront that serves high-need classrooms and educational programs.
In addition, Barclays will continue to make young reader titles that focus on financial literacy education available to the 25,000 schools and programs in the First Book network. As part of their partnership, Barclays and First Book produce special first-edition branded copies of Bunny Money, by Rosemary Wells, and The Berenstain Bears' Dollars and Sense, by Stan and Jan Berenstain. In addition to being available on the First Book Marketplace, these books are donated to schools in the New York metropolitan area at celebratory reading parties sponsored by Barclays and First Book.
The first of those parties for the 2010-2011 school year took place today at North Star Academy Elementary School II in Newark. Barclays employees joined morning circle time with the entire elementary student population at the Vailsburg campus in Newark. Barclays and First Book then hosted a reading party with all kindergarten students, who took home three brand new books of their own, including the Barclays edition of Bunny Money.
In the past two years, Barclays has distributed 50,000 new books to children in need across the country with the help of First Book. As the partnership expands to focus on the development of a financial literacy and college readiness section on the First Book Marketplace, Barclays and First Book hope to reach thousands more students with valuable educational resources.
"By partnering with Barclays, First Book can provide more students with books that will prepare them for success in the classroom and even after graduation," said First Book President and CEO, Kyle Zimmer. "Barclays is not only helping to increase access to books for middle and high school students in need, but also providing lessons on spending and saving for younger readers through its special edition books."
"By distributing the Barclays-sponsored books about financial literacy through the First Book Marketplace, we hope that more students will be encouraged to focus on financial literacy from an early age," said Keith Kochie from Barclays Capital, the investment banking division of Barclays.
Pamela Inbasekaran of North Star Academy said, "According to national tests, with less than two years at the school, North Star Academy first grade students are at the top seven percent of students all across the country in terms of their literacy levels. Larger personal and school libraries will only enhance their passion to read. We are incredibly grateful to Barclays and First Book for their generous donation to our schools and our students."
Barclays has a proud tradition of supporting and investing in the communities where they do business and adopts a three-fold philosophy, propelled by its employees: to bank on brighter futures, to look after local communities and to support charity at work.
About First Book
First Book provides new books to children in need addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy - access to books. An innovative leader in social enterprise, First Book has distributed more than 70 million free and low-cost books in thousands of communities. First Book has offices in the U.S. and Canada. For more information about the nonprofit First Book, please visit www.firstbook.org.
About North Star Academy
North Star Academy Charter School of Newark, co-founded by James Verrilli and Norman Atkins in 1997, has become a nationally recognized model for academic success, and has grown to include three middle school campuses, a high school campus and two elementary school campuses. North Star Academy is a member of the Uncommon Schools network. Uncommon Schools is a nonprofit organization that starts and manages outstanding urban charter public schools that close the achievement gap and prepare low-income students to graduate from college.
Of North Star's 1200 students enrolled across four campuses, 80% qualify for free and reduced price lunch and 99% are students of color. North Star Academy consistently outperforms their neighboring district schools and rank among the top schools in Newark and New Jersey. North Star plans to build additional schools in Newark, ultimately serving more than 2,500 students in grades K through 12. For more information, please visit: www.uncommonschools.org/nsa.
About Barclays
Barclays is a major global financial services provider engaged in retail banking, credit cards, corporate banking, investment banking, wealth management and investment management services, with an extensive international presence in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia. With over 300 years of history and expertise in banking, Barclays operates in over 50 countries and employs approximately 144,000 people. Barclays moves, lends, invests and protects money for over 48 million customers and clients worldwide. For further information about Barclays, please visit our website: www.barclays.com.
