After Donating 88,000 Meals last Fall, PreK-6 Students to Have New Opportunity to Help Families in Need Through Learning A-Z and UNICEF Kid Power Partnership
TUCSON—Feb. 16, 2021—Students donated more than 88,000 meals to U.S. families last fall, thanks to an innovative partnership between Learning A-Z and UNICEF Kid Power. Beginning March 5, PreK–6 schools will have another opportunity to motivate students to read and learn while encouraging them to help families in need. Learning A-Z has set a goal of 100,000 donations this spring.
Through this partnership, students who use Learning A-Z online instructional resources can convert the digital stars they earn into real world impact. U.S. students can redeem the stars for meals for people facing hunger in their communities. Students outside the U.S. will be able to donate clean water tablets to families in need around the world. The classroom that donates the most stars will also have the opportunity to co-author a book for Learning A-Z and share their book with students using Learning A-Z around the world.
“Giving students a greater sense of purpose increases their engagement and motivates them to reach new heights in their learning,” said Lisa O’Masta, president of Learning A-Z. “We’re thrilled to see the learning gains and the impact students made last fall, and we’re excited to partner with UNICEF Kid Power to give students an opportunity to make a difference again this spring.”
Students who use Raz-Plus, Raz-Kids, Headsprout, Science A-Z, Vocabulary A-Z, and Writing A-Z earn digital stars when they read books, complete assignments, and make learning gains. From September 4 through October 31, 2020, students generously donated more than 500 million digital stars. They each read an average of 11 books and spent 2,416 stars, up from 10 books and 1,848 stars during the same time period in 2019.
“These are kids helping other kids, which is very rewarding for students. Some students don’t believe they can be in a position to help others, so when they get to really experience that, they’re truly empowered,” said Troy Hickerson, co-founder of UNICEF Kid Power. “Whether kids are playing our Kid Power Up videos or practicing literacy skills with Learning A-Z, they see that their activities can have a positive impact in our local and global communities.”
About UNICEF Kid Power
UNICEF Kid Power is a free UNICEF USA program that offers interactive videos to help children discover how their everyday activities—such as moving and learning—can make a difference in the world. To learn more, visit www.UnicefKidPower.org. To make even more impact (beyond the partnership between Learning A-Z and UNICEF Kid Power), sign up for free at http://unicefkidpower.org/kidsa-z.
Impact Grants are part of the Learning A-Z Impact in Action initiative, a collaborative, community-based program which combines grants, research, and customer collaboration to help teachers make the greatest impact in education.
About Learning A–Z
Learning A-Z delivers PreK–6 literacy solutions that are designed to make teachers’ lives easier. Its award-winning digital products are used by more than 11 million students in more than 170 countries. Learning A-Z is a business unit of Cambium Learning Group, Inc.
For more information, please visit www.learninga-z.com or find us on Facebook or Twitter.
Media Contact:
Adam Gay
Director of Marketing Strategy
adam.gay@learninga-z.com
