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Scholastic Gives Back

The Scholastic Philanthropic Impact Report, 2021-2022

During the 2021-22 school year,* Scholastic worked tirelessly to give back and increase access to crucial resources for children, families, and educators. With the help of our incredible customers and partners, we were able to get millions of books to children, and schools were able to raise much-needed funds.

 

We thank all those who continue to choose us as their partner. We are proud to support and inspire young people to reach their full potential through reading and literacy.   

 

*Scholastic reports philanthropic efforts based on its fiscal year calendar, which began June 1, 2021 and ended May 31, 2022.

Much has changed since Scholastic was founded in 1920, including new businesses that revolutionized access to books and global expansion that has expanded our ability to engage children around the world, but through it all our mission and promise have remained the same: to positively impact the children we serve.  We are committed to empowering families, educators and communities to build a better future for the next generation.

 

This commitment is what informs and inspires our approach to corporate sustainability. We tap into our core strengths of publishing and distribution to improve the lives of underserved children through literacy partnerships, innovative outreach programs, and strategic in-kind giving. We address the reality that many children do not grow up in literacy-rich environments or have access to quality books, and that families need information, resources and assistance as they encourage and support their children’s development as strong readers.

 

Scholastic is proud to work side-by-side with not-for-profit organizations at both the corporate and divisional levels in this effort. This includes our 25-year corporate partnership with Save the Children through which we provide millions of children access to quality books through literacy and early education programs. Two Scholastic divisions have created signature partnerships including The Scholastic Book Fairs All for Books program which matches donations made by Book Fairs attendees to help purchase and donate books through a network of organizations such as the Kids In Need Foundation, Reader to Reader, Inc., and the National Center for Families Learning. Since 2009, Scholastic Book Club classrooms have collected and donated nearly 500,000 pairs of pajamas to Pajama Program, a nonprofit organization that provides new books and new pajamas to children in need, many of whom are waiting and hoping to be adopted.

 

Scholastic is also committed to being a good citizen in the local communities where we do business, including Jefferson City, MO, the home of our national distribution center. Our Jefferson city staff are dedicated to helping make the community a better place to live by partnering with the United Way of Central Missouri, the Food Bank of Central Missouri, Partners in Education and other non-profit organizations in the area.

 

As a company committed to providing quality books and educational materials for children, we believe it is our responsibility to help protect the planet they will inherit. We are proud to be a leader in responsible environmental stewardship through all of our paper procurement practices, striving to produce quality products in a responsible manner from design to material specification to finished goods. 

 

Engaging with impact and integrity is a meaningful reflection of Scholastic both as a global corporate citizen and a  good neighbor in the many communities we serve.

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are the longest-running, most prestigious recognition program and the largest source of scholarship funds in the nation for creative teens. Every year, the Awards receive nearly 350,000 submissions in 29 different categories of art and writing from students in grades 7–12 in all 50 states. The Awards give creative teens opportunities for recognition, exhibition, publication, and scholarships.

 

The Awards were established in 1923 by the visionary founder of Scholastic Inc., Maurice R. Robinson, as a small writing contest with just six winning applications. Over the course of the next seven decades, they were run as a division of Scholastic Inc., growing to become a national program administered by the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, in partnership with Affiliates across the country. These Affiliate Partners manage regional art and writing awards programs in their communities, conducting outreach, overseeing adjudication, and hosting exhibitions and awards ceremonies.

 

Over the course of their history, the Awards have established a significant track record for identifying the early promise of our nation’s most accomplished and prolific creative leaders. An impressive roster of notable alumni includes Tschabalala Self, Stephen King, Kay WalkingStick, Charles White, Joyce Carol Oates, and Andy Warhol. Outside the arts, Awards alumni employ their creativity in any number of ways—becoming leaders in fields including journalism, medicine, finance, government and public service, law, science, design, and more.
 

As they move into their second century, the Awards continue to encourage, inspire, and celebrate millions of young artists and writers and empower teens to share their voices and visions with the world. For many teens, receiving a Scholastic Award is life-changing and sets them on the path to becoming passionate creators and supporters of the arts. Richard Avedon described receiving his Scholastic Award as “the defining moment of my life.”

The Scholastic Possible Fund

The Scholastic Possible Fund was established to provide quality books to children in underserved communities, and in areas recovering from crises or natural disasters with the goal of improving global literacy. Books from The Scholastic Possible Fund are distributed through nonprofit partner organizations that work to help children and families understand the importance of books and reading from birth through adulthood as a pathway to understanding oneself and becoming a lifelong learner. Through the Scholastic Possible Fund, children around the world have received millions of books through our dedicated partners.

Scholastic Reads: Schools and Shelters

The aim of this initiative is to help increase early education and literacy opportunities for children, particularly at-risk children, in the New York City area. The long-term goal is to help break the cycle of poverty and homelessness by supporting the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City and the Department of Homeless Services with book donations, library refurbishment, and employee reading initiatives.

Scholastic Family and Community Engagement (FACE)

Scholastic Family and Community Engagement (FACE) partners with schools and districts to support literacy development for every child through programs and initiatives that strengthen relationships with families, connect the surrounding community with student learning, and increase access to books in the home. By focusing on five key priorities—early literacy, family engagement, access to books, expanding learning, and mentoring partnerships—FACE brings together research-based programs and strategies that equip educators, parents, and communities with the resources they need to boost the literacy skills of all children beyond the classroom.

For information on Scholastic’s commitment to sustainability and the environment, click here