Although it looked a little different this year, Dream Big 2021 was just as joyful and exciting as ever, according to Book Harvest Founder Ginger Young. Every year on MLK Day, Book Harvest celebrates the power of community and their big dream of books and literacy for all kids with Dream Big. This annual celebration […]
By Jeanna Baxter White When Davie County Schools launched DavieLEADS four years ago, they could not have known that the initiative’s professional development component would provide a lifeline to teachers as a pandemic forced them to quickly adapt to new ways of teaching. “No one could have been prepared for a pandemic. However, a lot […]
Susan*, a single mom with two children, temporarily lost her job as a waitress when the pandemic hit and was evicted from her basement apartment because she could no longer pay her rent. She didn’t qualify for unemployment and her ex-husband, who also lost his job, was no longer required to pay child support. The […]
By Jeanna Baxter White Anyone who has ever looked into the eyes of a child entranced by the soothing cadence of Goodnight Moon knows that shared reading is magical. “One of the best ways to engage with young children is through looking at books together. Every time a parent or caregiver snuggles with a child […]
During the day, Lindsay Harper teaches kindergarten at Courtney Elementary School in Yadkinville, NC. But one evening a week, she becomes the student as part of the Yadkin Wolfpack Literacy Partnership (YWLP) between the NC State College of Education and Yadkin County Schools (YCS) designed to improve reading proficiency in the district by helping teachers […]
Rebecca Boyles likes to say she was born to be a teacher because her birthday typically falls on the first day of school. “I became a teacher because I believe that every child deserves an adult that will never give up on them and understands the power of connection between a teacher and student. I […]
Sitting cross-legged on the library floor, Madison Sandy carefully examined the blueprint on the iPad in front of her before selecting the corresponding legos to add to her remote control car. Soon the rising 5th-grader was gleefully maneuvering it in a circle in front of her, experiencing that math and science are fun. Flexible Funding […]
Although Book Harvest’s Book Babies team can’t visit families in person right now, that doesn’t mean they’re not keeping in touch, shared Ginger Young, the Durham-based organization’s founder and executive director. Launched in Durham County in 2013, this groundbreaking evidence-informed home visiting program provides 20 new age-appropriate books to participating children every year starting at […]
Apply Now! Mebane Foundation Offers 35 $1,500 Classroom Start-Up Grants to 1st Year Teachers – Grades K-3 Setting up a classroom is expensive, ask any veteran teacher who has spent years scouring thrift shops and yard sales looking for books, educational toys, craft items, and decorations to turn an empty classroom into a warm and […]
Discussing Music and Movement in the Preschool Classroom “What types of music and movements help children to calm? What helps them get their energy up?” Stephanie Nelson, Davie County’s preschool collaborative teacher, asked teachers during February’s community preschool professional learning community (PLC) meeting on Monday night. A lively discussion followed as the preschool teachers shared […]
“Everyone needs to become a good reader so that when they are an adult they will have a better life,” said six-year-old Jade Vaughan-Bey during Book Harvest’s Dream Big Book Drive and Community Celebration held on MLK Day at Rhythms Live Music Hall in downtown Durham. Hearing such wisdom from a young child brought a […]
By Jeanna Baxter White Davie County High School has embarked upon a cross-curricular project never before attempted at the North Carolina high school level. Through Project Sunburn, Davie hopes to be the first high school program in North Carolina to design, build, and ultimately to compete with a solar-powered vehicle. While the short-term goal is […]
Professional Learning Communities allow teachers to meet regularly, share expertise and work collaboratively to improve teaching skills and drive the academic performance of students. These are a fundamental component of DavieLEADS (Literacy Empowers All in Davie to Succeed), the Mebane Foundation’s five-year, $2.5 million grant with Davie County County Schools to improve kindergarten readiness and reading proficiency.
By Jeanna Baxter White Kindergarten readiness in Davie County has already shown tremendous gains in just the first two years of DavieLEADS, according to a report by Davie County Schools. Funded by a five-year, $2.5 million grant from the Mebane Foundation, DavieLEADS (Literacy Empowers All in Davie to Succeed) is an early learning and literacy […]
By Jeanna Baxter White and Janine Bowen What would it take to get every single student in Yadkin County Schools reading on or above grade level? And does a question like that excite you?” Dr. Dennis Davis, Ph.D. asked a room full of Yadkin County elementary and middle school teachers. Davis, associate professor of literacy […]