First Book Honored for Cross-Sector Collaborations Bringing Millions of Books to Kids in Need

NEW YORK, March 4, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Kyle Zimmer, president and CEO of First Book, received a Lifetime Collective Impact Award yesterday to recognize First Book's innovative approaches and cross-sector collaborations addressing the scarcity of books for children growing up in low-income families.

The award was presented Monday by Ideagen at its "Empowering Women" summit.

"With a lifetime commitment to collaboration, Kyle Zimmer and First Book are uniquely qualified to receive this award," said George Sifakis, founder of Ideagen and president and CEO of Axela. "Kyle has led an effort through First Book to distribute more than 110 million books to children in need.  We look forward to her continued success at First Book and collective impact efforts that can truly change the world."

In the U.S. alone, an estimated 32 million children – almost half of all children – are growing up in low-income households where books are scarce.  One study found that while children from affluent communities have access to about 13 books on a daily basis, in the poorest neighborhoods, there was only a single book for every 300 children.

"When my co-founders and I started First Book, we recognized that to make a lasting impact on the lives of kids in poverty, we needed to harness the power of the private sector," said Zimmer.  "We have benefitted from the input of smart and caring people from all sectors who have advised, counseled, collaborated on and funded our efforts.  This has helped us create market-driven solutions, bringing high-quality books and educational resources to educators and programs serving children in need in the U.S. and Canada." 

"As we scale our efforts globally, that cross-sector support is even more critical to our success – and to helping bring a world of knowledge to children who need it the most," Zimmer said.

About First Book
First Book is a nonprofit social enterprise that has distributed more than 100 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income families throughout the United States and Canada.  By making new, high-quality books available on an ongoing basis, First Book is transforming the lives of children in need and elevating the quality of education. For more information, please visit us online or follow our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

About Ideagen
Ideagen is a network of industry-leading member organizations that collaborate to address pressing issues and share innovative solutions.  Its mission is to foster an environment for industry thought leaders to collectively innovate and collaborate.

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SOURCE First Book

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