Guest post from Janice Reardon from the Heart of America Foundation

Last week marked the celebration of a new era of reading and cultural enrichment for the students at Paint Branch Elementary School in College Park, Md., as FedEx volunteers placed finishing touches and unveiled the school’s newly revamped READesign® Reading Corner.
 
Volunteers arranged books on shelves and assembled furniture in the freshly painted Reading Corner. After the unveiling, volunteers visited the classrooms to distribute take home books and read to the children.  
 
Right in the heart of College Park, Paint Branch Elementary School was selected as part of The Heart of America Foundation’s READesign® Program, which revitalizes reading spaces and provides library and take home books for students at schools in underserved communities.  This year, with the help of a $25,000 grant from FedEx, we were able to put more than 1,000 books onto the shelves of this new Reading Corner and into the hands of students at Paint Branch.
 
This school is particularly unique as it is one of only four schools with a Chinese immersion program, which includes curriculum that educates students about the Chinese language and culture. Programs like the one at Paint Branch help prepare students to succeed in today’s global economy and workforce.  With the help of our literacy team, we were able to donate several new books focusing on Chinese culture to add to the students’ educational experience.  
 
At The Heart of America Foundation, it is our mission to encourage community service through literacy programs like our READesign® Program. We are proud to have worked with FedEx again this year and look forward to continuing this relationship for this wonderful effort to relish reading environments and inspire students to grow their love for reading.