Two Columbus Schools land Grants

Today, Mrs. Laura Bush announced that more than $831,000 is being distributed to 130 school libraries from 30 states across the country through the 2016 library grants from The Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries.

Franklin Academy and Stokes Beard in Columbus are among the schools to land the grants.

“Congratulations to the schools and libraries that have been awarded a 2016 Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries grant!” said Mrs. Laura Bush.  “With this grant, your librarian will order new books and materials for your school – something everyone can enjoy.  I challenge every student to build your reading skills during the summer break, and come back to your new and improved school library ready to learn next year. “

Mrs. Bush welcomed Dallas-area library grant recipients to the George W. Bush Presidential Center on Sunday as part of a public event celebrating the release of her and daughter Jenna Bush Hager’s new children’s book, Our Great Big Backyard, a picture book tribute to national parks. Librarians from Dallas Environmental Science Academy (Dallas ISD) and Ann Windle School for Young Children (Denton ISD) were each given a signed copy of the new book to include in their school library collections.  Mrs. Bush, who read the new book to children at the Bush Center event, spoke about the importance of reading to a child’s success, both in and out of the classroom.

The Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries provides grants of up to $7,000 to our Nation’s neediest schools so they can extend, update, and diversify the book and print collections in their libraries with the goal of encouraging students to develop a love of reading and learning.  Since its inception in 2002, it has awarded over $13.4 million to more than 2,500 schools across the country.  In addition to the annual grants, the “Gulf Coast School Library Recovery Initiative” in 2006 provided nearly $6.5 million to school libraries affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to rebuild book collections lost or destroyed in the storms.

In 2014, The Laura Bush Foundation transitioned from the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region in Washington, D.C. to the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas, where it is managed as a restricted fund. More information can be found at www.laurabushfoundation.org.