Community Partners
Working with the Community
Over the past 20+ years, Lightbox Learning has donated more than 2 million books to organizations that promote literacy in the United States and around the world. We carefully select charities that help children living in disadvantaged areas. Through our partnership with these organizations, we do our best to ensure that children who have no access to books become avid, successful readers and achieve a better future.
The objective of Bernie’s Book Bank is to support the hard work being done in schools to improve literacy by ensuring that children have books to read at home. Every child who attends a qualified school receives two bags of books from Bernie’s Book Bank every year. Each bag contains eight “just right,” age-appropriate books. In providing a quantity of books to each child every year, they not only provide them with reading materials to fuel their love for reading, but also create “book ambassadors” for a lifetime.
1.45 million+ books donated!
Bernie’s Book Bank is grateful to Lightbox Learning for their generous donation of 1,458,053 high-interest, quality books. In the past few years, children were disproportionately affected by the pandemic and Lightbox Learning’s donation ensured that every child received a high-interest non-fiction title during school shutdowns which provided a welcome escape for thousands of students. The impact of these books is immeasurable, and Lightbox Learning is truly transforming the stories of local children who receive free books.
– Darrin Utynek | Chief Executive Officer
COVID-19 Response
One of the biggest changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was for the children of the world, who had to learn from home, isolated from classmates, friends, teachers, and resource and media specialists. Building on our tradition of promoting literacy and providing quality educational materials that reach students of all backgrounds, Lightbox Learning decided to directly address this change by offering temporary unlimited access to our K–12 Subscription at no cost until August 1, 2020. This allowed schools, severely impacted by mandatory closures caused by the pandemic, to have access to digital and distance learning content for the rest of the 2019–2020 school year and through the summer.
The mission of Book Worm Angels / Open Books is to foster the development of recreational reading habits beyond the classroom among students in underperforming schools. The organization does this by providing books to stock in-classroom lending libraries for Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 8. The books are fun, recreational reading, and they are free.
13,000+ books donated!
Libraries for the World
Founded by Debbie Chavez, Libraries for the World creates community libraries for children around the globe. With projects in Uganda, Tanzania, and Guatemala, it works to provide young readers in underprivileged areas with equitable access to books and information.
“The children love having access to books, something that they haven’t ever had in their lives, and they love AV2’s books. The format is clear and easy to read. The nonfiction books are perfect, especially since many children can’t afford to enroll in school. Your books will allow unschooled children in the village to learn about the world around them and allow school students to extend and further their understanding of what they’re learning in school.”
– Debbie Chavez
Lightbox Learning has donated many hardcover English and Spanish titles from our AV2 imprint to Libraries for the World, helping them on their incredible quest to provide books to children around the world.
16,000+ books donated!
Partnering with local organizations, educational institutions, and government organizations, Librarians Without Borders works to establish libraries in developing regions. It has helped build libraries in Angola, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and other nations.
12,000+ books donated!
6,500+ books donated!
“Our vision is an Africa rich in readers.” Since 1988, Books For Africa has shipped more than 58 million library books to every country in Africa. It works with worldwide donors, publishers, and African partners to provide these tools of empowerment to children and students across Africa. Books For Africa has a single mission: to end the book famine in Africa.
“Thank you for your donation of 4 pallets of books to the Books For Africa warehouse in 2023! Your support helps us put books into the hands of African children who are eager to learn. On behalf of the children and teachers of Africa, I thank you.”
– Patrick Plonski, PhD | Executive Director
With a motto of “Books for All,” Worldreader provides free digital books to under-resourced children in Africa, India, Latin America, the United States, and around the world. Its platform includes thousands of titles that children can access anytime, anywhere, and on any device.
Digital Books donated!
“Our partnership with Lightbox Learning and using your donated digital books has allowed us to meet our goals of getting more children reading, so they can reach their full potential. The Lightbox learning books are key to us having exciting, eye-catching, high-interest nonfiction titles for our children and their caregivers to read. I am especially excited for us to host our first Learn to Draw books, and think children will be enthralled with the series on Sea Life. Thank you for supporting our global efforts in providing engaging texts to children and their families.”
– Kristen Walter | Director of US Programs
Working with World Reader to understand the topics in demand with children, Lightbox Learning has donated digital titles on a broad range of topics: sports, wildlife, sea creatures, drawing, and more.
Past Donations
Rock for Reading
The program worked to combat rising youth illiteracy rates in the United States through the recruitment of book donations from publishers and the distribution of donated books to literacy organizations. Committed to creating a nation of readers, Rock for Reading worked to get books to those children who most needed them and to help one child at a time, one book at a time, to discover the wonderful world of reading.
330,000+ books donated!
Redmoon Theater
In partnership with Redmoon Theater of Chicago, Lightbox Learning worked with a team of curriculum experts and artists to create a book titled The Great Chicago Fire, celebrating Chicago’s epic resurgence following the fire of 1871. It engaged youth in a story that championed themes of grit and resilience, with the goal of inspiring them to see everyday examples of strength.
31,000+ books donated!
