The Laura Bush Foundation for Americaâs Libraries announced that 238 school libraries are being awarded $1,126,315 in grants for 2012. The schools receive grants of up to $5,000 to expand, update, and diversify their library book collections.
Partnering this year with the Laura Bush Foundation for Americaâs Libraries was the Target Corporation. Through their programs like Take Charge of Education and Target School Library Makeovers, Target donates a significant portion of their giving towards educational causes with a focus on helping students achieve reading proficiency. Through their generous support this year, ten additional grants were awarded to deserving schools throughout the nation.
The grant application process is administered by The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region with guidance from The Laura Bush Foundationâs Advisory Committee. The grants are funded through generous donations to the endowment from individuals, corporations and foundations. Escambia County School Districtâs Media Specialist, Myra Palmer from Ensley Elementary School, applied for this grant to purchase books for ESOL students. Palmer has commented the books have already been selected and will focus on other countries and their culture.
The Laura Bush Foundation for Americaâs Libraries was founded in 2002 as a fund of The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region. Since its inception, the Laura Bush Foundation has awarded more than $9.5 million to schools in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Marshall Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands. In addition to these yearly grants, the Foundation has also awarded more than $6.3 million to school libraries in the Gulf Coast region to rebuild their library book collections that were lost or destroyed by hurricanes or storms.
Further information is available at www.laurabushfoundation.org.