Lauren Page, 12, a student at Ransom Everglades School, has spent the past four years running her own charity which focuses on enriching literacy for underprivileged youth. Recently partnering with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Chapman Foundation, Barnes and Noble, and various elementary schools, reaching the goals of her organization has never been more possible.
Lauren wanted to make a difference and decided to lead others down a path to helping the community. Her goal is to help her community while teaching others to do the same.
The organization is Page by Page, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, formed to teach children to help their neighborhoods by enriching literacy for the children in a community. Locally based, the organization has spread around the world and helped many communities increase literacy within their youth.
In 2014, as a third grader, Lauren’s parents would buy her books, she would get books from her school library, and many times receive them from her classes in school. She loved her book collection and the many worlds each book would describe. In her life, books were plentiful and available.
In her studies, she learned about a group of students that did not own books and had trouble learning to read. Seeing the library they had in their school with the shelves mostly empty, Lauren could not understand how this library had such a small quantity of books for the children that attended the school. Her school always encouraged her to read but she knew this would be difficult if a child did not have books at home. Then, she decided to make a difference in these children’s lives.
Lauren started the Page by Page Book Drive Program within her elementary school. The program was designed to collect gently used books to donate to schools, libraries, and charities that serve the children within her community that may not have access to these resources. While developing this program, she organized a school-wide book drive to donate to this school system and more importantly, to its children.
The Page by Page Book Drive Program consists of many components including morning announcement scripts, electronic flyers, posters, and much more. Over time and throughout the many years of book drives, Page by Page Book Drive presently partners with many local and national charities to enrich their existing programs and expand the Page by Page network of giving to charitable organizations.
Today, homeless shelters, the Keys after Hurricane Irma, schools, Salvation Army, and many charities benefit from the Page by Page Book Drives. Students from across the country have reached out to learn how to bring the Page by Page Book Drive Program to their schools and help their communities.
With parental supervision, the experience has proven to be fun and rewarding. Students or groups (such as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, or various other organizations) have contacted Page by Page Book Drive to learn how they can run their own movement for their community.
If you are interested, reach out to learn more. You and your child can organize your own movement for your own cause. Send email to renae@plawpa.com or call 305-321-4969. The website (www.pagebypage.us) reaches out to all children who wish to make a difference in their community, especially within Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Also visit on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pagebypagebooks/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel.Currently, Page by Page is operating within many elementary schools in South Florida and is expanding to Tampa; Kansas; New Jersey; Virginia, and London, England.
