First Book joins forces with Penguin Random House to promote D&I in schools

First Book, a US nonprofit committed to equal access to quality education, has partnered up with publisher Penguin Random House to ‘prioritise diversity, acceptance, and inclusion’ as part of its back-to-school-efforts, and remind students ‘all are welcome’.

The joint initiative involves the creation of 15,000 copies of a First Book-exclusive paperback edition of the children’s book All Are Welcome. The book, written by Alexandra Penfold and illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman, is now available from First Book’s website. Penguin Random House and Random House Children’s Books are also donating 1,000 hardcover editions of the book to schools.

“We are so pleased to partner with First Book to broaden the reach of ‘All Are Welcome’ and its essential themes, and to place it into the hands of teachers and young readers across the country,” stated Barbara Marcus, President and Publisher of Random House Children’s Books. “‘All Are Welcome’ is a story that encourages and supports children of all ages and backgrounds – and one that we are seeing resonate profoundly with parents and educators who are having important conversations with children about the world we live in today.”

CULTURALLY RELEVANT RESOURCES

The story, which features a school with kids of different ethnicities, religions and abilities, and from different family structures playing side-by-side, will help teachers develop vital attributes, such as empathy and respect, in today’s increasingly multicultural classrooms, according to First Book.

A 2017 survey carried out by First Book, highlighted that 70% of US educators identified anxiety in their students, caused by experiences with racism, as a significant barrier to learning in their classrooms and programmes. A staggering 95% educators from the same survey indicated that culturally relevant books and resources would help them create a productive learning environment.

CREATING SAFE SPACES

Additionally, a recent study from the American Academy of Pediatrics, revealed that racism has a profound effect on children’s health, and recommended an infusion of diverse books, particularly in early literacy programmes, “to ensure that there is a representation of authors, images, and stories that reflect the cultural diversity” of children, in order to create a safe space. This joint initiative is designed to help achieve that.

“Thousands of educators have told us that ensuring children feel welcome and safe is equally as critical to learning as paper and pencil, if not more,” commented Kyle Zimmer, President, CEO, and Co-founder of First Book. “With our original resources and with All Are Welcome, we are providing what educators have told us is missing – tools that nurture acceptance, respect, and empathy. We are past the point where espousing tolerance is enough, we have to actively provide kids with windows into other worlds and mirrors that reflect their own, so they understand that they, and everyone around them, have value.”

First Book also offers US educators a range of free downloadable tools tailored to creating welcoming classrooms. Click here for more information.