Tuesday
Apr202010
New Online Program Encourages Kids To Give Back By Reading
Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at 4:57PM
By Antonia Aguilar - University of New Mexico / Talk Radio News Service
The Penguin Group and Pearson Foundation’s new project, We Give Books, is aimed at motivating kids to read while inspiring them to become charitable.
“It’s really a simple concept and it’s got a really significant impact,” said President of the Pearson Foundation Mark Nieker. “The more the child reads, the more the child gives. And, the more a child gives, the more other children can read.”
We Give Books is a website where kids can read books for free. The Pearson Foundation then donates a book to literacy campaigns world-wide for every book read. The website gives parents an opportunity to get their children to read and it also serves as a learning tool they can use to encourage charitable behavior.
“The goal of We Give Books is to combine the power of reading and giving, and to take it to this whole new level where we give anyone with access to the Internet the ability to put books in the hands of children who don’t have them,” said Neiker. "The key to this is that you can do it simply just by reading online.”
The Pearson Foundation conducted a poll, “Raising Future Philanthropists,” to identify key parenting practices that are linked to the development of a charitable teenager. Results showed that parents who explained the importance of giving and showed their children that they can help others through their actions had more charitable children.
Professor of Character Education Dr. Marvin Berkowitz said that most parents do not think they have much impact on how charitable their children become. Berkowitz said that “the poll show just the opposite. Parenting behavior has a huge impact... Good parenting breeds charitable children.”
To help reach We Give Books' goal of one million books in the next year, log on to www.wegivebooks.org.
The Penguin Group and Pearson Foundation’s new project, We Give Books, is aimed at motivating kids to read while inspiring them to become charitable.
“It’s really a simple concept and it’s got a really significant impact,” said President of the Pearson Foundation Mark Nieker. “The more the child reads, the more the child gives. And, the more a child gives, the more other children can read.”
We Give Books is a website where kids can read books for free. The Pearson Foundation then donates a book to literacy campaigns world-wide for every book read. The website gives parents an opportunity to get their children to read and it also serves as a learning tool they can use to encourage charitable behavior.
“The goal of We Give Books is to combine the power of reading and giving, and to take it to this whole new level where we give anyone with access to the Internet the ability to put books in the hands of children who don’t have them,” said Neiker. "The key to this is that you can do it simply just by reading online.”
The Pearson Foundation conducted a poll, “Raising Future Philanthropists,” to identify key parenting practices that are linked to the development of a charitable teenager. Results showed that parents who explained the importance of giving and showed their children that they can help others through their actions had more charitable children.
Professor of Character Education Dr. Marvin Berkowitz said that most parents do not think they have much impact on how charitable their children become. Berkowitz said that “the poll show just the opposite. Parenting behavior has a huge impact... Good parenting breeds charitable children.”
To help reach We Give Books' goal of one million books in the next year, log on to www.wegivebooks.org.
The U.S. Needs To Address The Threat Posed By Volcanos, Says The Congressional Hazards Caucus
In the wake of the eruption in Iceland, the Congressional Hazards Caucus held a press briefing Wednesday to make the case for a better system to monitor volcanic activity in the U.S.
“Because volcanic eruptions are such a serious threat, our nation needs to commit the same kinds of resources that we muster to combat floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados, tsunamis and wildfires," said Sen. Lisa Murkowski ( R-Alaska), whose state is home to active volcanos.
According to U.S. Geological Survey, America harbors 169 active volcanos, 55 of which are considered highly threatening. However, according to the Caucus, monitoring systems that are being used to track volcanos in the U.S. are either outdated or insufficient, despite potentially life-saving advances in technology.
In response to the inadequacy of current monitoring systems, Murkowski has proposed legislation to establish a National Volcano Early Warning System that will fund better monitoring instruments in needed areas.