Proposal

**Briefly describe your intended project: ** I intend to organize and run a community-wide book drive for new and gently-used books. The drive will be to collect books for children or teenagers, and will be affiliated with the Free Library of Springfield Township, where I do substantial volunteer work. If all goes as planned, the drive will run for the month of November, leaving plenty of time to analyze and organize the results. There will be collection bins, which I will make and decorate, in both the main office area of the high school and in the township library, in order to increase awareness about the drive. Additionally, I will make flyers/announcements on the computer to hang up around the community (i.e. in store windows with the approval of the facilities). I will also create handouts for the librarians at the township library to hand out to visitors or parents. I will be working closely with the staff of the Free Library of Springfield Township, primarily Marie Kiessling, director of teen services, who will also be serving as my mentor. **Project Outcome or Goal: ** Hopefully the book drive will result in a sizeable amount of books, which I will sort through and evaluate in order to make sure they are of good quality. I will then pack the books up and deliver them to a recipient organization in the surrounding region, with whom I will have been in touch. I have not yet solidified my recipient, but I have contacted an organization called Philadelphia Reads and am just awaiting their approval. Their book bank accepts new and gently used books for children from preschool age to young adult. Throughout the school year, teachers and librarians visit the book bank to choose books for their libraries and classrooms. The purpose of the organization is to have every child in Philadelphia reading at, if not above, their grade level by third grade. Here is a link to the website of Philadelphia Reads for further information: [] By donating the collected books in order to aid underprivileged areas and children, I will be bringing the gift of reading to those who otherwise would not have appropriate resources. Depending on the outcome of my research topic, providing books to underprivileged children will aid in their oral development. **Project Completion Strategies: **I have already communicated with the Free Library of Springfield Township and gotten their approval for use of their facilities. I am waiting to hear from Philadelphia Reads in order to be sure that they understand the nature of my project, and are willing to accept any books I collect. Once that is finalized, I will decorate two large Xerox boxes with information about the project and place them in the township library and by the main entrance of the high school. Then I will create flyers/advertisements on the computer with information about my cause, and hang them around the community, gaining the approval of local businesses if necessary. I will create similar advertisements, in brochure form, for the children’s librarian at the township library to deliver to patrons. Every few days I will check both bins, empty them if necessary, and bring the books home, sorting them as I collect them. Once the drive is through, I will deliver the books [to Philadelphia Reads]. Throughout the project, I will take numerous pictures to use in my ultimate presentation. **Project Resources and Materials: ** I will need to obtain two large Xerox boxes in order to decorate and utilize them as collection bins. I will also require use of a computer and color printer in order to print out flyers. Because of the mass printing necessary for advertisement, I may have to utilize the facilities of Staples or another office supply store. I will need to report with my mentor, Marie, and visit the Free Library of Springfield Township in order to empty the bins stationed there and deliver flyers. Most of this will be done either after school or on the weekends, and will ultimately [if all goes as planned] add up to at least 30 hours of involvement on my behalf. I will need access to my camera in order to take pictures during different parts of the project, and will utilize the internet for supplemental research for my ultimate presentation. **__Research __** **Research Topic: ** I plan on researching the benefits of reading to children from a young age, especially in terms of their oral language development. If an opposing viewpoint is presented (i.e. that reading with young children produces no positive effects regarding language growth), I will develop that aspect as well. My research will be supported with numerous [longitudinal] studies by professionals who follow and keep track of children’s progress over a period of years. I chose this topic because as a child I was fortunate enough to have parents who stressed the importance of reading. Because of this, reading is now one of my favorite hobbies. I want to explore the benefits that books can bring, and ultimately bring the gift of reading to those less fortunate. **Essential Question: **What are the positive effects on oral language development that result from reading to, and with, children from a young age? **Prior Experience: ** I have been volunteering at the Free Library of Springfield Township since the summer after freshmen year, where I shelve books and work with children and young adults at library-sponsored events. I do not have any experience with the benefits of reading to children per say, but have witnessed storytime and other efforts of the librarians at the township library to encourage an interest in reading in their youngest patrons. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">R**esearch Benefits:** There is no one person or group of people who will benefit from my research investigation. However, parents and teachers of young children could potentially learn valuable strategies regarding specific reading techniques that will be most beneficial to students. Philadelphia Reads could also benefit because in addition to collecting and distributing books, they also have reading coaches who can develop more effective teaching strategies, based on the results of my investigation. **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Potential Sources: **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">See the “Annotated Bibliography” page.
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