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When I Grow Up - Book Drive

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Hi! My name is Alyssa Brew, I just finished my first year at Brock University in Primary/Junior Concurrent Education. I have worked in my local Niagara YMCA for a couple years now and am very passionate about working with children. 

I believe that all children have a right to experiencing education in an inclusive, anti-oppressive environment that celebrates diversity. In my first year Education 1F95 class at Brock, we learned many students are oppressed by classroom materials that fail to celebrate and discuss all cultures. 

I have really been thinking about a way to join in the fight for change in our world right now and I want to do my part to make a change in a system that has failed many for years now. I am asking for your help in creating a community initiative in the form of a book drive. 

I was inspired to create this initiative by a post which detailed how a teacher overheard a black student say, “if I grow up.” The impact of that statement is so heavy. Children deserve to feel limitless in their future endeavours. We need to come together and teach the message of “when.” Every single child, every single person, deserves to feel as they belong. I want to take the quote “The secret to making any room great is refusing to ever allow for hate,” and create an opportunity within this book drive to form classrooms that preach this message!

With the help of my teacher friends, I have created a list of anti-oppressive and equity focused children’s books. If you are able to participate, you can either donate here, and I will do the rest: choose a book from the list and purchase it! 

Or, you can visit my Instagram (@whenigrowup.books) where I have attached the list, purchase a book yourself and I will come pick it up from you. You can also choose a book that you already love & know of if it is not included in the list! Many of these books are available on websites such as Chapters.com or any other local book stores! If you already have books at home fitting this category you are welcome to donate gently used books as well! 

I will then package the books in groups of about 3-5 to deliver to teachers and future teachers in the Niagara Region! They will receive these books free of any costs thanks to the help of others to then be used in their classroom! All of the book pick-ups and drop offs will be contactless due to current COVID 19 concerns. 

I want to help create classrooms where every single child feels loved, celebrated, and welcomed. It is in an environment such as this that children will thrive & learn to their full potential! 


If you are able to help in any way by either purchasing a book, donating a book, or making a donation it will be so so appreciated. Let’s come together as a community and make a change!! 

Thank you so much, 
Alyssa

Organizer

Alyssa Brew
Organizer
Niagara Falls, ON

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