Eat more fresh fruit and vegetables, move naturally … and read a book? It turns out that literacy is as important to our health as managing diet and exercise. Research actually connects the ability to read to lower rates of depression and higher rates of high school graduation, employment, preventive care, and long life.
That’s why Blue Zones Project—an organization supporting longer, better lives in Fort Worth—recently teamed up with local schools and Scholastic Book Fairs to make books more accessible to hundreds of area students. As part of Texas Health Resources’ North Texas Healthy Communities initiative, Blue Zones Project has been making healthy choices easier in Fort Worth since 2015. That means everything from planning a more walkable city and facilitating urban community gardens to partnering with businesses and schools to improve employee and student well-being and encourage kids to read.
Blue Zones Project has long backed the school district’s 100 X 25 plan (to get 100 percent of third graders reading at grade level, a predictor of future success, by 2025). In addition, the organization has provided almost 8,000 books to area children—through reading challenges at Blue Zones Project Approved schools and the Blue Zones Project Student Summit, farmers market visits, community centers and camps, and in Blue Zones Project Approved grocery stores.
The newest chapter in Blue Zones Project’s literacy efforts came when the organization supported Scholastic Book Fairs at Fort Worth’s C.C. Moss Elementary and the Leadership Academy at Como Elementary (which are both Blue Zones Project Approved schools, putting proven strategies for well-being into practice). Through the pilot book fair program, students in Grades 2, 3 and 4—years that are key for building reading skills—were able to choose two books apiece, at no cost to them. Students in pre-K, kindergarten, first and fifth grade also had the opportunity to select one free book each. In all, more than 700 students took home books through the fairs. This opportunity for additional reading came just in time for summer, when students aren’t surrounded by classroom bookshelves and can’t visit on-campus libraries. “It was the event of the year at C.C. Moss,” said Carrie Hogg, school librarian. “Every student left with big smiles and wonderful books! It has been a very unpredictable and difficult year. Many families are struggling. Blue Zones Project has made my librarian heart very happy!”
In keeping with Blue Zones Project’s focus on encouraging better well-being, the book selections centered on topics related to nutrition, gardening, physical activity, and mindfulness. Books were available in English and Spanish, and offered a diversity of characters—so that students could see people who look like them living healthy lives, making the positive messages more relatable.
What’s more, as part of this program, the proceeds from the Scholastic Book Fair will be allowing schools to receive more books and learning supplies for the campuses. These proceeds will be especially helpful to C.C. Moss Elementary and the Leadership Academy at Como Elementary—schools that are working hard to close literacy gaps among their students and were chosen to pilot the book fair partnership for that reason. “There is no way to even describe the impact and generosity Blue Zones Project and Texas Health have on our students,” said Keyan Brady, instructional specialist at the Leadership Academy at Como Elementary. “The children’s eyes lit up as they scanned the hundreds of books they would get to choose from, and they were so proud to walk out with their very own book. It was the best day ever—their words, not mine.”
Because the pandemic affected learning for virtually all children, Blue Zones Project is putting even more focus on its work with partners in education. “We know that long-term well-being depends on many factors, but literacy and learning are key to all of them,” said Matt Dufrene, vice president of Blue Zones Project Fort Worth. “As a strong reader, you can better understand how to improve your health and communicate more easily with doctors and other well-being experts—plus, you are more likely to have a better quality of life overall. We are proud to work with Fort Worth ISD and Scholastic Book Fairs to put more books in the hands of kids.”
Blue Zones Project plans to continue efforts with C.C. Moss Elementary and the Leadership Academy at Como Elementary, to see how students are benefiting from the literacy programs. And the book fairs may expand to other schools in the future.
There are many ways for individuals, businesses and organizations to get involved, from donating toward future book fairs, to volunteering to read to kids (even over Zoom). To learn more and help children develop a love of reading at an early age, contact Blue Zones Project or check out other community well-being efforts at LiveLongFortWorth.com.