TUCSON ACTIVITIES REPORT 2025

In the past twelve months, we have promoted a number of children’s literacy projects reaching a variety of communities in the state.

ARIVACA EARLY LEARNING CENTER – A community preschool in the small southern Arizona town of Arivaca. They serve 40-50 children ages 6 months – 5 years. We provided them with writing materials and fabric to make cushions for their outdoor reading area. The fabric is a fanciful forest theme. The children can take the cushions with them when they graduate. We visited the center early this year, and are impressed with the learning environment and literacy experiences everywhere on campus.

THE TOHONO O’ODHAM FAMILY LITERACY PROGRAM – We provided over 325 books for children and adults to be given out at 11 meeting centers throughout the Tohono O’odham Nation for their Family Literacy Program. Each family receives 10 books, children through adult levels, which they will read together during “Family Reading Times.” We also purchased their requested list of books written by Native Americans about Native Americans. On December 27 they held a Pow Wow including a book give-away for which we purchased over 100 books for all ages, preschool through adult.

MANZO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM – The early learning classes, with a total of 30 children in two sessions daily, received books for their read-at-home program.

AVIVA – is dedicated to helping foster children in the care of the Department of Child Safety. We provided books and correlating stuffed animals for parents and children when they meet for family visits. We also participated in their Christmas Book Drive donating over 300 books. These books were distributed to youth in foster care throughout southern Arizona.

PIO DECIMO PRESCHOOL – We provided books and also books with correlating stuffed animals from Kohl’s for their Early Learning Center. The goals of the center are to increase social and emotional development along with kindergarten readiness.

LOS NINOS DEL VALLE -GREEN VALLEY –  This is a preschool-child care program for children beginning at age 12 months. The school emphasizes intergenerational activities where older adults on the La Posada campus and other residents of Green Valley spend activity time with small groups of children. “Building Memories Together with Storybooks and a Tea Party” is one program where children and older adults read picture books and age-appropriate stories together, followed by a book discussion. We provided $999.97 for books about “feelings” for this program. Also, each child graduating into kindergarten was given a Dr. Seuss book, “I Knew You Could Do It.”

WORLDS of WORDS LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA COLLEGE OF EDUCATION We supported the Reading Ambassador Program, a unique book club for middle and high school students. Reading Ambassadors take a deep dive into each book they read, and they also forge relationships with teachers and librarians in their school contexts. They plan and moderate author events, where they learn about the publishing industry. Finally, they reflect on the whole experience in their podcast, “WOW Reads.” Best of all, there is no cost to the teens.  The program provides the books, materials and expertise for free. Exit data shows that the program works! The program was so successful that we gave them funds to continue to offer it this fall.

LITERACY CONNECTS – We provided $2000 for books for their three outreach programs: Reach Out and Read, Reading Seed, and Stories That Soar.

 IMAGO DEI – Is a small, independent and tuition-free private school for children grades 4-8 from low-income and under-resourced families. It provides small class sizes, individual attention and an extended day, week, and year. Imago Dei admits children of diverse faiths, races, cultures and cognitive profiles. We have provided them with magazines, and this year, we were able to fulfill their entire wish list of books for their library.

MARANA FAMILY RESOURCE  CENTER – The center provides clothing, food, and other needs for families, along with a cart of give-away books. We provided 25 books.

We decided to discontinue most of our magazine subscriptions to nine organizations as many of the magazines are no longer published or are now online only.

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PHOENIX ACTIVITIES REPORT 2025

Reductions in educational budgets meant that there continued to be a need to support public classrooms and school libraries again this past year.

Caesar Chavez High School in Phoenix asked for books to help foster love of reading for students in grades 9 – 12 and to encourage students to participate in literacy focused activities. This is the second year we have been able to support the librarian’s work. Moon Mountain School Library was able to add to their collection of “Who Was” HQ book series. These stories and facts about scientists, athletes, and trailblazers are very popular with elementary and middle school children.

Through the Donors Choice website we found Arizona teachers who requested books. We helped purchase books for the Buckeye Elementary School Library and the Caesar Chavez School ESS resource teacher.

“Joy for Books,” a nonprofit we helped last year, requested support to continue to provide books for Title 1 schools in the West Valley area.

We continue to meet teachers and librarians when they visit the Friends of the Phoenix Public Library to get free books. They often have additional needs, and we encourage them to learn about Libraries, Ltd. Sevilla East Elementary in the Alhambra District is an example of that, as five homeroom teachers have requested class sets for fourth and fifth graders. Madrid School in Phoenix asked for books for 7th and 8th grade readers. The students can’t find engaging reading material in the school library, whose collection needs to be mostly appropriate for younger grades. The books we funded went to a specific collection for the older readers. Class sets were also purchased for Academies at South Mountain High School.

Libraries, Ltd. again donated $3000 to Chaparral High School’s Club RIF (Reading is Fundamental.) These funds were used to purchase 300 new books for students at St. Peter Indian Mission School near Phoenix. Originally an elementary school, St. Peter School has expanded to include freshman and sophomore levels of high school. Academic subjects as well as CTE (Career and Technical Education) courses are offered. We started 2026 with a donation of matching funds to Southwest Human Development. They plan to distribute 1500 age appropriate books to families at their annual “Thrive to 5” Playfest at the State Fairgrounds in February.