A Durham nonprofit received a major grant to help fund and expand its book distribution program to elementary-aged students for summer reading.

Book Harvest announced Friday it was chosen to receive $250,000 from the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust to grow its Books on Break program across North Carolina. The initiative, which is approaching its 13th year, has provided more than 500,000 books to thousands of students to keep as their own and help maintain literacy skills while out of school.

The William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust, which is a frequent contributor to the nonprofit, is based in Chapel Hill and focuses on projects aiding children’s education and their surrounding communities.

“The Kenan Trust is committed to funding innovative and effective programs in education,” said Nancy J. Cable, Executive Director of the Kenan Charitable Trust. “The Books on Break program embodies these qualities, and we appreciate the vision of Book Harvest to expand the program across North Carolina. We are honored to partner in this initiative to support student learning and growth over summer break.”

“This grant from the Kenan Charitable Trust is a transformative opportunity to scale our proven program during the critical summer months,” said Rachel Stine, Senior Director of Books on Break. “We will be able to expand our reach to an additional 3,900 students, with a focused effort on reaching students who attend Title 1 schools.”

Book Harvest said the grant investment will help it partner with new school districts, improve implementation and expand communication to promote the program statewide. Books on Break takes place in May, and brings a wide selection of new books to campuses for students to choose between and take home. In 2024, the program took place at 37 schools across five counties, including Durham, and provided 12,347 students with more than 101,000 books.

By creating excitement and ownership around reading books, Book Harvest aims to tackle one of its main goals when founded in 2011: help children strengthen their literacy through empowering and enabling them. The nonprofit says 78% of North Carolina’s children in low-income families are not reading proficiently by the end of third grade — and summer is often a time when those skills erode if not practiced. Books on Break gives the students books to help retain and advance their reading, while bringing excitement to their classrooms in a group setting.

More about Book Harvest’s Books on Break program can be found on the nonprofit’s website.

 

Featured image via Book Harvest.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
Summer Literacy Programs for CHCCS Students Saw High Donations, Solid Turnouts
To help kids keep up their reading this summer, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Public School Foundation focused on reviving literacy programs.
ICE Has Arrived In The Triangle. Here's A Guide of Resources to Use
United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, officers and Border Patrol agents are active in the Triangle on Tuesday, with confirmed arrests and sightings in Raleigh and Durham. Below is a guide of resources compiled by Chapelboro to track confirmed ICE sightings, track any detainees and stay informed about your rights. Here is what […]
On Air Today: Building Bookcases for a Cause, with Book Harvest and Hope Renovations
Aaron welcomes Book Harvest and Hope Renovations, who are joining forces for a new project that supports both of their missions at once.
'Meant A Lot To Me': A Familiar Face in Carrboro Is Now in the Gospel Music Hall of Fame
Debbie May of Durham was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame earlier this month after a three-decade career in the industry.
Orange County Sheriff's Office Investigating Death at Nature Preserve
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the discovery of a deceased Durham man Friday morning. Investigators said in a release the body of Calvin Demond Smith-Taylor, 36, was discovered at the edge of a parking lot at the Brumley North Nature Preserve just before 7:30 a.m. Friday morning. The parking lot of the preserve […]
On Air Today: Bricks & Minifigs, Celebrating One Year of LEGO® in Durham!
Aaron welcomes Anne and Demetrius Grandel of Bricks and Minifigs Durham, to help celebrate their one-year anniversary in business.
An Environmental Justice Test Case for Trump’s EPA: A Creek That Smells Like Death
By Lisa Sorg, Inside Climate News On a summer afternoon in Burton Park, hip-hop throbs from a car stereo over the backbeat of a basketball slapping on concrete. The sun bakes a grid of identical brick buildings, whose wheezing window air conditioners can barely keep pace with the 96-degree heat. Three young boys laugh and […]
Durham Tech Announces Contract Extension for President J.B. Buxton Through 2029
Durham Technical Community College President J.B. Buxton received a contract extension ahead of the new academic year, with his tenure now set to run to at least 2029.
Durham Teen Named as Suspect in Chapel Hill Armed Carjacking, Police Share Photos of Other
The Chapel Hill Police Department named a Durham teen as a suspect in an armed carjacking which took place early Saturday morning, and shared photos of a person of interest.
Orange County Sheriff's Office: Sex Offender Arrested, Charged Over Child Porn
An Orange County resident and sex offender faces several counts of sexual exploitation of a minor following an investigation by North Carolina law enforcement and Orange County Sheriff's Office.
›