Dallas, TX – Today, Mrs. Laura Bush announced that more than $930,000 is being distributed to 160 school libraries from 38 states across the country through the 2017 library grants from the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries.
“Congratulations to the schools and libraries that have been awarded a 2017 Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries grant!” said Mrs. Laura Bush. “As a former librarian, I know school libraries play an important role in improving student achievement, and with this grant, your librarian will make your library the perfect place for students to fall in love with reading.”
Mrs. Bush, who was one of the founders of the Texas Book Festival, announced the 2017 grant recipients while participating in the Texas Book Festival’s Reading Rock Stars literacy program. This year the program was hosted at Thomas Tolbert Elementary School, a school that received a grant from the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries in 2013. The Texas Book Festival’s Reading Rock Stars literacy program brings books to life for children in low-income schools by inviting authors and illustrators into classrooms with entertaining presentations that inspire students to read, write, and create. James Luna, author of two bilingual picture books, and Hena Khan, Pakistani-American author of Amina’s Voices, joined Mrs. Bush in participating in the program. Mrs. Bush read her children’s book, Our Great Big Backyard, and spoke about the importance of reading to a child’s success, both in and out of the classroom, and encouraged students to continue to read during the summer months.
“During the summer months to come, I encourage every student to read something every day and for our younger children, to read aloud, too. These simple steps will help students build reading skills and keep them ready for the next school year.” said Mrs. Bush.
This April while in Africa, Mrs. Bush announced the first ever international grants from the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries. Therisanyo School in Gaborone, Botswana and Ella Du Plessis High School in Windhoek, Namibia each received $2,500 towards their school libraries.
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 $14.3 million to more than 2,700 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.
The Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries
2017 GRANT RECIPIENTS
Wylam K though 8 – Birmingham, Alabama
Corley Elementary School – Boaz, Alabama
Cottondale Elementary – Cottondale, Alabama
Tok School – Tok, Alaska
Roadrunner Elementary – Phoenix, Arizona
Catalina High School -Tucson, Arizona
Carnall Elementary School – Fort Smith, Arkansas
Kingston – Kingston, Arkansas
Citrus Elementary – Chico, California
Mary Buren Elementary School – Guadalupe, California
Christa McAuliffe High School – Lancaster, California
Lafayette Elementary School – Long Beach, California
Los Angeles High School – Los Angeles, California
Mary Covillaud Elementary – Marysville, California
James Madison Middle School – North Hollywood, California
Handy Elementary School – Orange, California
Westwood School – Stockton, California
Wilhelmina Henry Elementary School – Stockton, California
Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall School – Sylmar, California
Pulaski Middle School – New Britain, Connecticut
Vance Village Elementary School – New Britain, Connecticut
Washington Elementary School – West Haven, Connecticut
Eastern Senior High School -Washington, District of Columbia
Eliot – Hine Middle School – Washington, District of Columbia
Anthony Elementary School – Anthony, Florida
Edith Starke Elementary – DeLand, Florida
Indiantown Middle School – Indiantown, Florida
Central Avenue Elementary – Kissimmee, Florida
Poinciana Academy of Fine Arts – Kissimmee, Florida
Durrance Elementary – Orlando, Florida
Benjamin Banneker High School – Atlanta, Georgia
Maynard Jackson High School – Atlanta, Georgia
Ronald E. McNair Middle – College Park, Georgia
Cowan Road Elementary School – Griffin, Georgia
Toombs County High School – Lyons, Georgia
Dunleith Elementary School – Marietta, Georgia
Elite Scholars Academy – Morrow, Georgia
C. A. Gray Junior High School – Moultrie, Georgia
Fort Hall Elementary – Fort Hall, Idaho
Bond Elementary School – Chicago, Illinois
Lincoln Elementary School – Orland Park, Illinois
Talala Elementary School – Park Forest, Illinois
Erskine Elementary School – Anderson, Indiana
Southside Middle School – Muncie, Indiana
Fillmore Elementary School – Davenport, Iowa
Enders Open Magnet – Wichita, Kansas
Jefferson Elementary Schools – Henderson, Kentucky
Byck Elementary School – Louisville, Kentucky
Engelhard Elementary School – Louisville, Kentucky
Goldsmith Elementary School – Louisville, Kentucky
Greenbrier Elementary School – Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Southside Elementary – Denham Springs, Louisiana
ReNEW Cultural Arts Academy – New Orleans, Louisiana
Southwest Baltimore Charter School – Baltimore, Maryland
New Hampshire Estates Elementary School – Silver Spring, Maryland
Ogemaw Heights High School – West Branch, Michigan
Jefferson Community School – Minneapolis, Minnesota
Choctaw Central High School – Choctaw, Mississippi
North Panola Junior High School – Como, Mississippi
Bel – Aire Elementary School – Gulfport, Mississippi
Cross Keys Middle School – Florissant, Missouri
East Elementary – Jefferson City, Missouri
Brookside Charter School – Kansas City, Missouri
Center Elementary – Kansas City, Missouri
Warford Elementary – Kansas City, Missouri
Gateway Middle School – St. Louis, Missouri
Hardin High School – Hardin, Montana
Morris Sunset East High School – Las Vegas, Nevada
Park Avenue Elementary School – Orange, New Jersey
Clinton Elementary School – Plainfield, New Jersey
Whittier Elementary School – Albuquerque, New Mexico
Bloomfield High – Bloomfield, New Mexico
Pine Hill Schools – Pine Hill, New Mexico
PS 25 The Eubie Blake School – Brooklyn, New York
English Language Learners and International Support Preparatory Academy – Bronx, New York
I.S. 5 The Walter H. Crowley School of Leadership – Elmhurst, New York
Stephen T. Mather Building Arts and Craftsmanship High School – New York, New York
Abraham Lincoln School #22 Rochester City School District – Rochester, New York
Leadership Academy for Young Men – Rochester, New York
Metro School – Charlotte, North Carolina
George Hildebrand Elementary – Connelly Springs, North Carolina
Douglas Byrd Middle School – Fayetteville, North Carolina
Kannapolis Middle School – Kannapolis, North Carolina
Horton Middle School – Pittsboro, North Carolina
Bridges Program – Raleigh, North Carolina
Windsor Elementary School – Windsor, North Carolina
Northwest Middle School – Winston – Salem, North Carolina
San Vicente Elementary School – Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands
Scranton School – Cleveland, Ohio
Hugo Middle School – Hugo, Oklahoma
Pierce Elementary – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Western Heights High School – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
St. Andrew Nativity School – Portland, Oregon
Woodlawn School – Portland, Oregon
Marvine Elementary School – Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Jefferson Elementary School – Erie, Pennsylvania
Bartram High School – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Northwest Middle School – Reading, Pennsylvania
Riverside Elementary – Reading, Pennsylvania
C. E. Murray Middle School – Greeleyville, South Carolina
Palmetto Middle School – Mullins, South Carolina
W. B. Goodwin Elementary – North Charleston, South Carolina
Minnie Hughes Elementary School – Yonges Island, South Carolina
Brainerd High School – Chattanooga, Tennessee
Spring Hill Elementary – Knoxville, Tennessee
Havenview Middle Schools – Memphis, Tennessee
Kingsbury Middle School – Memphis, Tennessee
Oakhaven Elementary School – Memphis, Tennessee
Westside Elementary – Memphis, Tennessee
Hamlet Elementary – Amarillo, Texas
Travis 6th Grade Campus – Amarillo, Texas
Knox Elementary – Arlington, Texas
Bertha Sadler Means Young Women’s Leadership Academy – Austin, Texas
Consuelo Mendez MS – Austin, Texas
Oak Springs Elementary – Austin, Texas
Filemon B. Vela Middle School – Brownsville, Texas
M. Gonzalez Elementary – Brownsville, Texas
Sterling B. Martin Middle School – Corpus Christi, Texas
Tomas Rivera Elementary School – Denton, Texas
Ysleta Elementary – El Paso, Texas
MacArthur Elementary – Galena Park, Texas
Betty Roberts Best Elementary School – Houston, Texas
Earnesteen Milstead Middle School – Houston, Texas
Eugene Field Elementary – Houston, Texas
Janowski Elementary – Houston, Texas
Spring Oaks Middle School – Houston, Texas
Walnut Bend Elementary School – Houston, Texas
Las Yescas Elementary – Los Fresnos, Texas
Marshall Kendrick Middle School – Pasadena, Texas
Allen & William Arnold Elementary – Pharr, Texas
Henry Ford Elementary School – Pharr, Texas
Jaime Escalante Middle School – Pharr, Texas
Ramiro Barrera Middle School – Roma, Texas
Dr. Martha Mead Elementary – San Antonio, Texas
Jim G. Martin Elementary School – San Antonio, Texas
Scotland Park Elementary – Wichita Falls, Texas
George Rogers Clark Elementary School – Charlottesville, Virginia
Jackson – Via Elementary School – Charlottesville, Virginia
Heritage Elementary School – Lynchburg, Virginia
Linkhorne Elementary School – Lynchburg, Virginia
Sheffield Elementary School – Lynchburg, Virginia
T.C. Miller Elementary – Lynchburg, Virginia
Albert H. Hill Middle School – Richmond, Virginia
Chimborazo Elementary School – Richmond, Virginia
Elkhardt – Thompson Middle School – Richmond, Virginia
Franklin Military Academy – Richmond, Virginia
George Wythe High School – Richmond, Virginia
Glen Lea Elementary School – Richmond, Virginia
James H. Blackwell Elementary – Richmond, Virginia
Miles Jerome Jones Elementary School – Richmond, Virginia
Richmond Community High School – Richmond, Virginia
Thomas Jefferson High School – Richmond, Virginia
Heritage High School – Newport News, Virginia
Lindenwood Elementary School – Norfolk, Virginia
Douglass Park Elementary School – Portsmouth, Virginia
Potomac View Elementary School – Woodbridge, Virginia
Scriber Lake High School – Edmonds, Washington
Four Heroes Elementary – Lakewood, Washington
Seattle World School – Seattle, Washington
Tank Elementary – Green Bay, Wisconsin
