The Laura Bush Foundation Awards Over $660,000 In Grants To School Libraries
Grants Will Help 136 School Libraries Buy Books

May 10, 2004 – Today,  Laura Bush announced the 136 recipients of over $660,000 in grants from the Laura Bush Foundation for America's Libraries.  The announcement was made from one of the schools,  PS 92Q Harry T. Stewart, Sr. Elementary School, Corona, NY. Awardees were selected from more than 1200 applications in 46 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. Virgin Islands. The awards are based primarily on need and schools will use the funds to create or expand their book collections. 

"Helping to foster a love of books is the key to nurturing a lifelong love of learning," said Mrs. Bush. "Through these grants we will help create well-stocked libraries for children around the country."

Awardees will receive grants of up to $5,000. Of these recipient schools:

·    129 reported 90 percent or greater students eligible for free or reduced lunch.

·    Four serve predominantly Native American students

·         Four serve juvenile offenders

·         Grantees include charter schools, magnet schools, parochial schools, a residential treatment center and an alternative school

·         Seventeen schools include pre-kindergarten 

·         Ninety-eight schools include elementary grades

·    Forty include middle schools

·    Twenty-six include high schools

The grant application process is administered by the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region with guidance from the Laura Bush Foundation Advisory Committee. This Advisory Committee consists of national experts in children’s literature, school libraries and education. The grants are funded through generous donations from individuals, corporations and foundations.

The mission of the Laura Bush Foundation for America's Libraries is to support the education of our nation's children by providing funds to update, extend, and diversify the book and print collections of America's school libraries. The Laura Bush Foundation was officially launched on June 4, 2002, during the White House Conference on School Libraries. Grants from the Laura Bush Foundation for America's Libraries, a fund of the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region, are designed to help school libraries across the nation create or enhance their book collections.