(Video) 2012 EPIC Book Drive with Keri Hilson via @DoSomething

WHO/WHAT/WHERE:      

For the second year in a row DoSomething.org teens & young people across the country will be running Epic Book Drives in their communities

WHEN:

Kicking off April 3, teens and young people can collect and donate books in their local community until May 18.

WHY:

• In some of the lowest-income neighborhoods in the country there is only one book available for every 300 children.
• Similarly, in some of the poorest areas of the country, it’s hard to find books for sale.
• Children and adults who are illiterate or have low literacy skills have poor educational, employment and health outlooks. Many of them will not graduate from high school, will earn barely enough to stay above poverty levels, and will be more likely to engage in criminal and anti-social behaviors.
• Price is the #1 barrier to book ownership

 HOW IT WORKS:

1. Teens across the country lead local book drives at their schools and in their communities.

2. DoSomething.org provide helpful guidance, flyers, and swag for teens to use to promote their drives.

3. Teens donate their collected books to local organizations in need (i.e., Vietnam Veterans of America, Salvation Army, local shelters, etc.) across the country.

4. Underprivileged youth and families get access to books for free or at reduced prices locally.

 2012 GOALS:

1. Empower teens to collect 500,000 books that they can give back locally to underprivileged communities in their area

2. Work with teens to raise awareness and take action around education inequality