April 15, 2012

National Library Week Wraps Up a Great Week!

WePAC's National Library Week events concluded on Friday with our final three guests at Drew Elementary and Heston Elementary. These amazing talents brought the number of students served by our special guests to 2,200 for the week. The students were enthralled as our guest authors read to them and talked about their   inspiration for writing and their love of books. Our special guests on Friday were Donna Jo Napoli, Catherine Nichols, and Marisa de Jesus Paolicelli.

  Please click on a guest's name to learn more about them and their great work! We hope that you will buy some of our guest authors' and illustrators' books and invite them to come and visit your school - you won't regret it!

Thanks to all of our guests. You made a difference in the lives of children.

April 12, 2012

Twenty-Six Authors, Illustrators and Celebrities Join WePAC for Days 2 and 3 of National Library Week!

WePAC's National Library Week celebration rolled forward on Wednesday and Thursday as 26 guest readers shared with 1,200 students at nine schools, bringing the number of students participating in this event to 2,000! Special guests on Wednesday and Thursday included authors, illustrators, and media personalities. All of our guests shared generously of their time and extraordinary talents to serve young students in West Philadelphia. Many donated books, bookmarks, prints, and drawings to the libraries and the students. Special guests on Wednesday and Thursday were authors and illustrators Gene Barretta, Becky Birtha, David Brown, Monica Carnesi, Linda Brewster, Debbie Dadey, Kate Garchinsky, Linda Oatman High, Ann Malaspina, Andy Myer, Lisa Papp, Robert Papp, Mara Rockliff, Judy Schachner, Karen Pokras Toz, Shannon Wiersbitzky, Adrienne Wright, as well as CBS3 Reporter Jericka Duncan, 6ABC Anchor Tamala Edwards, KYW1060's Cherri Gregg, KYW1060's Lauren Lipton, KYW1060's Carol Mackenzie, Steve Mygatt, Gloria and Morton Rabinowitz, Candice Woods from City Councilwoman Bondell Reynolds Brown's Office.

Please click on a guest's name to learn more about them and their great work. We hope that you will buy some of our guest authors' and illustrators' books and invite them to come and visit your school - you won't regret it!

Thanks to all of our guests. You made a difference in the lives of children today.

April 10, 2012

Sixteen Authors, Illustrators and Celebrities Jump-Start National Library Week with WePAC!

WePAC's National Library Week celebration got off to a roaring start on Tuesday as sixteen local authors, illustrators and celebrities shared their love of books, stories, illustrations, and incredible talents at six elementary school libraries opened and run by WePAC. Our guests saw more than 800 students all across West Philadelphia. In addition to their generous donation of time and energy, many donated autographed copies of books to our library collections. Students, teachers, administrators and WePAC volunteers were engrossed in the presentations. Kicking-off Day 1 were authors and illustrators Gene Barretta, Brian Biggs, Becky Birtha, Lindsay Barrett George, Dan Gutman, Bob McLeod, Kathye Petrie, Matt Phelan, Deborah Kogan Ray, Michael Smerconish, Chrysa Smith, Pamela Tuck, and David Wiesner, as well as State Representative Michelle Brownlee, Cassandra Hayes, and NBC10 Anchor Lori Wilson.

Please click on a guest's name to learn more about them and their great work. We hope that you will buy some of our guest authors' and illustrators' books and invite them to come and visit your school - you won't regret it.

Thanks to all of our guests. You made a difference in the lives of children today. 

March 31, 2012

Impact100 Philadelphia Grant Continues to Pay Dividends!

The $100,000 grant awarded to WePAC from Impact100 Philadelphia in June continues to support numerous programs and the expansion of our services. Our National Library Week events are made possible only through this extraordinary support. The addition of our 12th school library at the Edward Heston School in February 2012 and the launch of our classroom support program for K-2 classes at Heston were also made possible by this award. WePAC was chosen from among 150 applicants for the major grant at Impact100's Annual Meeting in June 2011.

Impact100 has undergone such significant growth that for 2012 it is offering two $100,000 grants, along with three smaller grants, to area nonprofits. From a pool of approximately 200 initial applicants, Impact100 will make its awards at its Annual Meeting on June 4th.

WePAC hopes that you will consider becoming a member of Impact100 and help to build our community and support the great work being done throughout our area. Please click the link to their website above to find out how you can join this transformative organization.

WePAC wishes the best of luck to this year's award candidates.

March 2, 2012

WePAC Celebrates National Library Week in April!

Please click the "National Library Week 2012" link on the left to view a list of our extensive (and growing!) list of special guest authors, illustrators, celebrities, and dignitaries participating in National Library Week April 10-13, 2012.

February 29, 2012

WePAC Opens Its 12th School Library!

WePAC is proud to announce the opening of its 12th public elementary school library at the Edward Heston School in West Philadelphia. On February 29th, WePAC partnered with the Heston School in West Philadelphia to open the school library to students. WePAC volunteers prepared the library space, catalogued and shelved thousands of books, and began seeing classes of students in the library.

Students from the nearby Lewis Cassidy School donated 2,000 books to the Heston School library, wrote about the project in their school newspaper run by WePAC, and attended the Grand Opening. Pictured below are students from Cassidy, along with Heston Principal Icilyn Greene (left), cutting the ribbon to mark the opening of the Heston library.

Also attending the Grand Opening at Heston were (below, left to right), Pennsylvania State Representative Jim Roebuck, Chair of the WePAC Board of Directors Lauren Dodington, Pennsylvania State Representative Vanessa Brown, WePAC Executive Director David Florig, and WePAC Board of Directors member James W. Haile.