Improving Literacy One Bookshelf at a Time

Holborn is proud to support the first Wonder of Reading initiative, a day-long celebration, to promote reading for students at John Oliver and other schools in the Sunset neighbourhood.

Beyond the celebration, Holborn funded the building of 200 mini bookshelves that will be filled with books and taken home by students so that the can enjoy the wonder of reading throughout the year.

“As a company that’s focused on building a sustainable and vibrant new neighbourhood at Little Mountain, supporting community activities is a natural fit for us,” said Phillip Scott, Development Manager of Holborn Properties. “We are pleased to be a part of this great project that encourages young people to build their reading skills.”

The goal of the program is to encourage students to enjoy reading outside of classroom throughout the year. Farrell Segall, a parent at John Oliver Secondary and the founder of MakerMobile, designed the bookshelves and students will build them during the school year. MakerMobile is a travelling classroom which engages young people in hands-on projects and workshops exploring art, crafts, engineering and technology.

The contribution of funds from Holborn Properties is a key component of the program that will have an impact on the entire community over the long term. “We are deeply appreciative of the support we received from Holborn Properties.  We would like to thank all the community partners for providing the support that has made the Wonder of Reading possible,” said Tim Mcgeer, principal of John Oliver Secondary School.

MakerMobile is a travelling workshop and learning lab that offers a wide range of fun and fascinating projects that explore art, electronics, computer programming, technology and the sciences. Please visit www.makermobile.org for more information.

On September 25, the same day as the Vancouver Sun’s Raise-A-Reader, John Oliver’s students and teachers will participate in more than two dozen activities in every classroom at the school.  The school has designed and built a Victorian-style house façade filled with more than 10,000 books donated by various community partners. Students who have their new bookshelves will be able to fill them with these donated books. Find out more about the Wonder of Reading by clicking here.

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