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October Impact Report
October was filled to the brim with reading and writing! Our literacy programs reached 575 students for a total of 2,040 hours of reading and writing support at 15 Chicago area schools. Here's a warm fuzzy from one of our 3rd grade field trip students: "I wish this was my classroom! Writing is my favorite subject because of Open Books!" Read more about our impact and sign up to join our volunteer ranks! |
Poems of the Month
Sure, November is all about gratitude and community, but let's not forget about the food! This month, our Adventures in Creative Writing field trip students have been using their senses to script poetry about what they love (and hate!) to eat. Read some of our recent favorites... they may make your mouth water.
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Revelry Raffle Winner
We are excited to announce the WINNER of 2 roundtrip American Airlines tickets and a 2-night stay at the Ritz Carlton-South Beach... Veronica Tabet!!! Congratulations, Veronica, and THANK YOU to everyone who participated!
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Holiday Bookstore Party Presented by the Open Books Associate Board
Get out of the cold and get in the holiday spirit! Join us at the Open Books store for food, drinks, trivia and more! Wednesday December 7 6:30-9 pm
$10 suggested donation |
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Greetings!
This month, we are not only grateful to our network of supporters (you!), but to our students for sharing their wonderful words and personalities with us each week. In this month's newsletter, you'll have the chance to hear about all of the ways we've come together this fall to help Chicago students share their stories, find an audience, and get inspired to take leaps they might not have conceived of before.
We hope you'll have the chance to share your favorite stories with your loved ones this month, and thank you for helping our literacy-loving community continue to thrive!
Sincerely,
Anna Piepmeyer
Program Director
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Coming Together to Reflect on VWrite
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A VWrite visit to the art museum
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This month, nearly fifty students and their volunteer mentors crammed into Open Books' classrooms for a very special evening celebration. The pairs had been through what felt like a long journey, delving into the world of professionalism, professional communication, goal setting, and more.
The students, juniors from Gage Park High School, were matched with their mentors through VWrite, Open Books' hybrid virtual and in-person mentoring program. Since August, they have been regularly corresponding with their mentors to create and refine resumes, cover letters, and to write their college entrance essays. Additionally, each pair completed one or more outings, traveling to colleges, businesses, and cultural institutions the city over.
The celebration was to praise the students' (and mentors') achievement in the program. During the event, we came together to eat and laugh, and also heard moving stories from pairs about how the experience changed them. Many students at Gage Park had never before had the opportunity to get to know a professional adult, and most hadn't traveled far outside of their neighborhoods. The mentors were able to show students the landscape of possible jobs and academic careers available to them, helping plant seeds that will flourish into college acceptances next year, and dreams realized in the years following that.
A special thanks to everyone who participated in this semester of VWrite! You can read more about our experience on the Open Books Blog.
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Talent Tuesdays On The Open Books Blog
While Open Books students in general have no shortage of writing talent, our sophomores at Chicago Talent Development Charter High School have it in special abundance -- and they love to share! The group is currently participating in our ReadThenWrite program, and they have been writing weekly blog posts about their experience with us. A new entry will be published each Tuesday through mid-December. Check out their entries and leave a comment to cheer them on! |
It's back! Come shop our incredible selection of 50,000 amazing used books...and save 50% on each and every one of them (including rare and autographed books)! As always, all proceeds will help support our literacy programs across Chicago.
Ready? Set? Shop!
December 10 and 11 10 am - 7 pm Open Books Store 213 W. Institute
And remember.... Open Books members get a 2-hour head start on Saturday! Member Preview: Saturday, December 10 8-10 am |
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Did you know that Open Books publishes 3 newsletters every month? Sign up for What's In Store, Volunteer Vanguard, and Literacy Landscape now!
Open Books is a nonprofit social venture that operates an extraordinary bookstore, provides community programs, and mobilizes passionate volunteers to promote literacy in Chicago and beyond. We enhance lives through reading, writing, and the WONDROUS power of used books. |
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