Let's talk about our pilot program. In the summer of 2011, BookEnds began a strategic planning process to look for ways to improve our program. We found some good ones, but this is my favorite: An exciting plan to deepen the relationships between our book drive and host schools.

Throughout the current school year, BookEnds has been taking four book drive partnerships and expanding their involvement beyond the usual delivery. This has manifested itself in a few different ways, but most exciting thus far has been the relationship between Westside Neighborhood School in Marina del Ray and the Garr Academy of Mathematics & Entrepreneurial Sciences in South Los Angeles south of the USC campus. The schools are a 20 minute drive from each other. Both schools had participated in the program in prior years, and both schools have extremely enthusiastic faculty members. It was a logical match.

Around the holidays, we began to plan our partnership. We would kick off in the Spring, and maintain the connection between the schools through the school year. So WNS would run their book drive as usual, but on the day their 4th graders introduced the book drive to the rest of the student body, they would be joined by Garr's 5th graders. This was an unprecedented event for BookEnds, arranging a reciprocal visit by the host school. And the benefits were evident.

The Garr students arrived on the WNS campus and introduced themselves to the 4th graders, chatting about their interests and reading together for a little while. Afterwards, the Garr students would spend some time with the WNS 2nd graders. Students on all sides seemed genuinely invested in the experience. And teachers on both sides believed that the visit ultimately made the ensuing delivery day that much more meaningful.

Two weeks later, that delivery happened. WNS personally delivered over 3,300 books to Garr, sitting down and reading those books with the Garr kindergarten students. Then, the WNS kids enjoyed some time competing with the 5th graders in a rousing variation of capture the flag. The kids recognized each other from a couple weeks before. They shook each others' hands, a few exchanging elaborate handshakes reminiscent of friends reuniting. The sense of camaraderie had formed.

So what now? Instead of parting ways, the two groups of students will follow-up with a pen-pal exchange before Spring Break, furthering their writing skills and continuing to build the relationships they had formed from their first two meetings. Later in April, the teachers will be setting up a Skype session between the students. We're currently looking at ways this technology might enhance the social relationships between the students, building their communication skills through a mutual love of reading, and, if possible, integrating the curriculum on the literature side as well.

It's been a hugely successful pilot project. But there is room to build. In the summer of 2012, our program committee will evaluate each pilot relationship to determine how we can offer experiences like the WNS-Garr partnership in the future. Because the more schools BookEnds can involve, the more kids we can impact. And that is reason enough to get excited.

Matt Devine,
BookEnds Program Manager