The One Fund: One Play, One Book, One Child
Help Emerald City reach low-income Chicago early learners.
For many of the low-income students who see an Emerald City Theater production it is their first experience with theatre. Emerald City continues to grow, yet there are still children in Chicago who have never seen a play. There are children in Chicago who have no books. The facts can be seem a little staggering:
- A recent study shows that while in middle-income neighborhoods the ratio of books per child is 13 to 1, in low-income neighborhoods, the ratio is 1 age-appropriate book for every 300 children. (from Neuman, Susan B. and David K. Dickinson, ed. Handbook of Early Literacy)
- 80% of preschool and after-school programs serving low-income populations have no age-appropriate books for their children. (from Neuman, Susan B., et al. Access for All: Closing the Book Gap for Children in Early Education)
Emerald City will touch some of these children this year...but we want to reach even more! That's the goal of the One Fund. To reach 5,000 more low-income CPS students in 2011 and give them:
- One free Emerald City Theatre performance for their class and
- One free book of their very own to take home.
With your help, Emerald City can inspire young readers by connecting play and reading. Imagine the power of a free performance of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and then giving each of those children that same book to take home!
We need your help to accomplish this goal!
- Your gift of only $10 can bring a play and a book to one low income child.
- Your generous gift of $100 can support a portion of a classroom and $300 supports an entire low income classroom.
Please help us inspire early readers through play by giving to the One Fund – One Play, One Book, One Child.