Eagle Scout-ing for Books According to a study conducted in late April by the U.S. Department of Education and the National Institute of Literacy, 32 million adults in the United States cannot read. That is 14 percent of the population. This study also stated that 21 percent of adults in the U.S. read below a 5th-grade level, and 19 percent of high school graduates cannot read. To help combat this, one Edgewood High School junior has set up a book drive at his school to collect donations for the Wisconsin Literacy Network. Casey Lazar was searching for a service to do for his Eagle Scout project when his former troop leader, Jason Mascitti, reached out to him about the Wisconsin Literacy Network. A nonprofit organization, this charity helps
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For example, the books must be in decent condition, not falling apart, and not vandalized. As well, they must be actual “books”, meaning no encyclopedias and no magazines. Other than these guidelines, there is a lot of freedom in the donation. The books can be hardcover or paperback, a 5-page children’s book to a 300-page novel, and of any reading level. These donations must be given to Casey by February 28th at the latest, due to March 1st, being the deadline for donations to the Wisconsin Literacy Network itself for the used book sale which takes place on Thursday, March 16, 4:00pm-8:00pm; Friday, March 17, 11:00am-7:00pm; and Saturday, March 18, …show more content…
He said, “If people [at Edgewood] really take it to heart, it could really be the bulk of the donations, It would really be the heart of the project if we do well here.” He stressed just how important this project is by saying, “If you didn’t know how to read or write, think how hard it would be for you to get a job and do things like go to school. School itself wouldn’t make any sense. It would be impossible to read books and write essays. And there are adults out there who are in that position who are also working and trying to raise kids, so just taking 30 minutes to find books to donate would really be giving to a good cause and make a lasting difference in those people’s lives.” This sort of long-term effect is precisely what Casey is trying to accomplish in this project, because as he puts it, “I want to be able to leave a lasting mark. That’s a big reason as to why we do Eagle Scout projects, so we can help the organization for a long time, not just once.” Casey hopes that he can convince the school to conduct this drive every year like the Harvest Food Bank donations so the Wisconsin Literacy Network can continue to get help in its journey to help educate people, long after the project and his graduation. Let’s be a part of the impact. Find some books, and donate
For example, the books must be in decent condition, not falling apart, and not vandalized. As well, they must be actual “books”, meaning no encyclopedias and no magazines. Other than these guidelines, there is a lot of freedom in the donation. The books can be hardcover or paperback, a 5-page children’s book to a 300-page novel, and of any reading level. These donations must be given to Casey by February 28th at the latest, due to March 1st, being the deadline for donations to the Wisconsin Literacy Network itself for the used book sale which takes place on Thursday, March 16, 4:00pm-8:00pm; Friday, March 17, 11:00am-7:00pm; and Saturday, March 18, …show more content…
He said, “If people [at Edgewood] really take it to heart, it could really be the bulk of the donations, It would really be the heart of the project if we do well here.” He stressed just how important this project is by saying, “If you didn’t know how to read or write, think how hard it would be for you to get a job and do things like go to school. School itself wouldn’t make any sense. It would be impossible to read books and write essays. And there are adults out there who are in that position who are also working and trying to raise kids, so just taking 30 minutes to find books to donate would really be giving to a good cause and make a lasting difference in those people’s lives.” This sort of long-term effect is precisely what Casey is trying to accomplish in this project, because as he puts it, “I want to be able to leave a lasting mark. That’s a big reason as to why we do Eagle Scout projects, so we can help the organization for a long time, not just once.” Casey hopes that he can convince the school to conduct this drive every year like the Harvest Food Bank donations so the Wisconsin Literacy Network can continue to get help in its journey to help educate people, long after the project and his graduation. Let’s be a part of the impact. Find some books, and donate