By JAN McLAUGHLILN
BG Independent News
The Bowling Green community is being asked to help elementary students reach the stars through books.
Lift off for the 1BookBG program is scheduled for this spring, when every elementary student in Bowling Green’s public, private and parochial schools will receive a book to keep as their own.
This year, the 1BookBG program will play off the eclipse set to occur on April 8, with Bowling Green in the pathway of the once in a lifetime event.
“In the year of an eclipse, we want to shoot for the stars,” Crim Elementary teacher Stacey Higgins said at a recent school board meeting.
1BookBG has a goal of providing space pioneer biographies and reference books to all students in grades K-5. Each book will focus on “Out of this World Pioneers,” from Galileo to Sally Ride.
But to get all elementary students in orbit, donations are needed to help buy books for approximately 1,400 students. The costs for the books range between $3 and $5 a piece.
Bowling Green City School District began the 1BookBG program in the 2015-2016 school year. Since then it has been expanded to include all public, private and parochial elementaries in the city.
The program invites the community to be part of its outer space adventures. It will again collaborate with Wood County District Public Library and Bowling Green State University College of Education Curriculum Libraries. It will partner with local businesses and service organizations, and connect families to books, authors and community resources.
According to Higgins and fellow Crim Elementary teacher, Michelle Thomas, the 1BookBG program exploded last year, with the following results:
- $7,000 was raised from more than 115 donors.
- 1,600 books were ordered to allow each student to have their own book.
- Donations allowed the program to give numerous weekly prizes to students, including gift cards to local businesses, prizes from local businesses, and more books.
- 15 local businesses partnered to be “mission sites” for family/student interaction.
- The author of last year’s books, Jerry Pallotta, made seven visits to schools and the library.
The organizers would like to see this year’s program run planetary rings around previous years.
In collaboration with BG Schools’ and BG Schools Foundation’s Eclipse Committee, 1BookBG has created a new partnership with BGSU in the Round Native American Creative Speakers Series funded through WBGU and BGSU libraries
The program kicks off with BGSU’s In the Round – Author Traci Sorrell visiting BGSU and Wood County public libraries on March 22-23. She is the author of “Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer.
How can you help with 1BookBG’s galactic goal?
Local businesses will be asked to offer mission stops featuring constellations to be filled with student stars along with information about featured scientists.
Funds remaining from the record-breaking 2023 1BookBG donations will be used toward purchasing biographies for all students. However, due to industry price increases and purchasing from multiple sources, more funds are needed.
Checks may be sent to: BG Schools Foundation, P.O. Box 784, Bowling Green, Ohio, 43402. Put 1BookBG in the memo line. Donors may also go to http://bgschoolsfoundation.com to make a contribution through PayPal.
