Emily Watson
Cherokee County
Literacy in Georgia
A third of our children come to
school unprepared to learn.
Approximately 61% of low-income
families do not have a single
piece of reading material
suitable for a child.
41% of Georgia's 4th graders do
not read at grade level.
1 in 5 of our children lives in poverty
Several States plan how many jail cells
they will build in the future by how many
children are not reading on grade level
by 3rd & 4th grade.
Georgia scored 46th on SATs in 2006.
Nearly 40% of Georgia's students do
not graduate from high school (we rank
49th or 50th nationally in drop outs)
One in four adults in Georgia
operates at a low literacy level.
People in the U.S. who are illiterate
represent 75% of the unemployed,
33% of mothers receiving aid, 85%
of juveniles who appear in court
and 60% of prison inmates.
Georgia spends $170 million a
year on remedial education.
Economic studies show that investments
in quality child care and education
for children in their preschool years
provide a return of up to 20%.
With your help, this can change…
About the League of Extraordinary Students
Adapted from the “Governor’s League of Extraordinary Teens” created in 2005 by the Tennessee Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation, the Ferst Foundation League of Extraordinary Students is eager to “Imagine the Possibilities” when Georgia’s young adults (middle, high school, and college students) engage in the spirit of philanthropy and become inspired to make a change in the future of our State, one child at a time!
Georgia students are invited to become active FFCL partners through the League of Extraordinary Students, which engages middle, high school, and college students in the logistical and financial management of their own Ferst Foundation community.
In exchange for:
1. Registering at least 1 child in the Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy Program.
2. Raising $175 in donations for each child registered for the Ferst Foundation program.
3. Performing 5 hours of literacy-related community service.
Participating Students/Student Orgnizations will:
1. Be given the title of Ferst Foundation Extraordinary Students.
2. Receive a Certificate of Appreciation signed by Ferst Foundation Founder Robin Ferst.
3. Be listed as a Ferst Foundation Extraordinary Student/Organization on www.ferstfoundation.org website by name and county.
4. Be named in the Ferst Foundation monthly newsletter.
How can you join the League? It’s easy!
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To begin your League of Extraordinary Students application:
1. Register (as an individual or as a group) with the Ferst Foundation (click here).
2. Print your tool kit which includes registration forms and a case statement about Ferst Foundation.
Note that funds raised will be used to support the Ferst program in the community of your choice! You may choose to raise the funds to register children in your own community or another Georgia community with a greater need. Use the following link to view a listing of current participating communities: http://ferstfoundation.org/countiesserved.htm or call the FFCL headquarters toll-free at (888) 565-0177.
Note that it is important to submit the partnered donations and registrations to FFCL as you get them so children may begin receiving their books as soon as possible. |
Remember ― All donations will support the Ferst Foundation program.
It’s Georgia students helping Georgia’s youngest children.
Now, that’s extraordinary! |
Read below to see how our first Extraordinary Student got started!
Our county school system requires a senior project to be completed during our senior year. It is a project that should combine our hobbies and/or interests and future career plans. I am enrolled to begin at Georgia Southern University in the fall majoring in biology as part of their pre-med program. My goal is to become a pediatrician. I wanted to combine my love for children with my love of reading. I began by exploring the volunteer opportunities at the children's hospital in Atlanta and desired to volunteer with the children there and was going to start a collection drive of gently used and new books to be given to the hospital and also write a children book to be given as well at the end of the project. However I ran into a brick wall when I contacted them. I was not of age to volunteer there in addition to the fact of the hospital not being able to take the collection of books. My mother made a few telephone calls to other metro hospitals and they also had age requirements of volunteers. I thereafter started looking for a women's and children shelter that I could volunteer with the children and do the same type of book collection for them. They also had a age requirement. At this point my mother and I was both becoming very anxious wondering how I could possibly do this project if not given an opportunity to work with children. My mother happen to make contact with a friend that lives in the Pickens County area of Georgia and she had just read the article in the Southern Living magazine the very same day she called her. My mother bought the magazine and made the first contact with you and then I followed up on that conversation. A door was opened for me at that point to complete this project.
At the time I knew I needed to raise the funds to sponsor my first child. I began my first part-time job at Zaxby's and raised the monies to sponsor that first child. I began looking for the right child and found a lady at my aunt's church who would be honored to have her baby be a participant in the program. I enrolled her in the program for her receipt of books. I did my volunteer work in an area that I have a passion for (reading) as well as having the opportunity to be around children; doing all at the same time. I volunteered with the Sequoyah Regional Library and worked in the Children and Teen's Programs they have on a weekly basis there. I fulfilled my commitment in the number of community service hours and and plan to continue my work in the program there; at least until I go to off to college in August.
Thank you again for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the Ferst Foundation and naturally I plan to do more as time and money permits.
Thanks again,
Emily Watson