Retailer and The Heart of America Foundation aim to ignite students’ love of reading with new libraries, book donations and technology upgrades
Today, Target Corp. (NYSE:TGT) announced plans to renovate 25 school libraries across the country through the 2013 Target School Library Makeover program. As part of the renovation process, each in-need school will receive 2,000 new books and a technology upgrade complete with iPads, interactive white boards and more. At the unveiling of each library, every student and his/her siblings will also receive seven new books to take home.
“The Target School Library Makeover program is part of our commitment to give $1 billion for education by the end of 2015,” said Laysha Ward, president, community relations, Target. “By reimagining school libraries and transforming outdated spaces into state-of-the-art learning centers, Target hopes to ignite a love of learning and put more children on the path to high school graduation.”
To transform the 25 school libraries, Target will partner with The Heart of America Foundation and enlist the pro bono work of the Target design and construction teams. Additionally, Target will rely on more than 3,000 team member volunteers across the country to help breathe new life into the libraries.
In addition to a remodeled library, each school will have the option to receive a Target Meals for Minds food pantry. In partnership with Feeding America affiliates, Target Meals for Minds food pantries will provide students and their families with more than 22 pounds of fresh produce and staple foods each month.
Through initiatives like the Target School Library Makeover program, Target is helping more children reach academic milestones such as reading proficiently by the end of third grade. By the end of 2013, Target expects to have completed 175 school library makeovers and impacted more than 93,000 students through the program.
About Target
Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) serves guests at 1,808 stores – 1,784 in the United States and 24 in Canada – and at Target.com. Since 1946, Target has given 5 percent of its profit through community grants and programs; today, that giving equals more than $4 million a week. For more information about Target’s commitment to corporate responsibility, visit Target.com/corporateresponsibility.
About The Heart of America Foundation®
The Heart of America Foundation (http://www.heartofamerica.org), is a national nonprofit headquartered in Washington, DC that uniquely promotes volunteer service and literacy. The organization aims to inspire acts of service and a love of reading by building community and providing children in need with the tools to read, succeed and make a difference. Committed to education and volunteerism, The Heart of America Foundation engages volunteers by putting books into the hands of children who need them the most. Since 1997, The Heart of America Foundation has provided children living in poverty with over 3.28 million library and take-home books, and has engaged volunteers in more than 1,075,000 hours of service to the community.
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