Wipro invests in literacy with gift that includes bilingual Spanish/English books
San Francisco - September 27, 2016:
Two San Francisco elementary schools will celebrate the arrival of 6,000 brand new books next week, including bilingual titles, as part of a donation from Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO), a leading global Information Technology, Consulting and Business Process Services company and First Book, the nonprofit social enterprise that has distributed more than 150 million books to children in need.
Bryant Elementary, in San Francisco’s historic Mission District, and John Yehall Chin Elementary, will each receive 3,000 brand new books—enough to create 10 individual classroom libraries at both schools—plus 300 Spanish/English bilingual titles for Bryant’s main library. Bryant will host Todd Parr, a local children’s author, local dignitaries and representatives from Wipro and First Book to mark the books’ delivery.
The donation and event builds on Bryant’s significant achievements in literacy. Bryant’s literacy scores have jumped 15 percent over the last five years, an increase the school attributes to support from the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), the Mission Economic Development Agency’s Mission Promise Neighborhood initiative, and strategic partnerships, like the one with Wipro.
Anurag Behar, Chief Sustainability Officer, Wipro Limited said, “Wipro is committed to being an involved participant in its communities. High quality universal education is critical to the future of children and young people. Our partnership with First Book, and our investment in San Francisco’s schools, underscores our commitment to work with local communities and educators to further educational opportunities for children in need.”
Wipro’s donation is part of a $1.5 million initiative by SFUSD and First Book, a nonprofit social enterprise that provides books, educational resources and other essentials to children in need, to provide every K-5 classroom in San Francisco with a new classroom library.
Book ownership and a print-rich environment are leading indicators of a child’s educational success, but for the 32 million children growing up in low-income families in the U.S. alone, books are scarce. Studies have found that in low-income neighborhoods there is only one book for every 300 children; whereas in moderate income neighborhoods, there are 13 books for every one child.
First Book, which has operations in both the U.S. and Canada, works with formal and informal educators serving children in need ages 0-18 in a wide range of settings – from schools, classrooms, summer school and parks and rec programs, to health clinics, homeless shelters, faith-based programs, libraries, museums, summer food sites and more. The organization estimates there are more than 1.3 million classrooms and programs that are serving children in need in the U.S. alone, more than 5,000 of which sign up with First Book every month. First Book’s community of 275,000 educators is the largest and fastest growing educational network exclusively serving children in need in North America. First Book now supports an estimated one in five educators working in the lives of children in need in the U.S.
"Wipro and its employees have gone above and beyond to help bring First Book’s resources into the communities where they work and live,” said Kyle Zimmer, president and CEO of First Book. “Their commitment to learning and to innovation is filling 20 San Francisco classrooms with books that are diverse, grade-appropriate, and brand new. The transformative power of books goes hand in hand with the transformative power of technology, and Wipro understands that. We are fortunate that we have been able to support Bryant and Chin Elementary Schools, and we look forward to continuing to work with the San Francisco Unified School District to support every school in the city."
About First Book
First Book is a nonprofit social enterprise founded in 1992 that has distributed more than 150 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income families throughout the United States and Canada, which, with more than 275,000 members, is the largest and fastest growing network of educators exclusively serving kids in need. By making new, high-quality books and educational resources available on an ongoing basis, First Book is transforming the lives of children in need and elevating the quality of education. Eligible educators, librarians, program leaders, and others serving children in need can sign up at firstbook.org/register. For more information, please visit firstbook.org or follow the latest news on Facebook and Twitter.
About Wipro Limited
Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO) is a leading information technology, consulting and business process services company that delivers solutions to enable its clients do business better. Wipro delivers winning business outcomes through its deep industry experience and a 360 degree view of “Business through Technology.” By combining digital strategy, customer centric design, advanced analytics and product engineering approach, Wipro helps its clients create successful and adaptive businesses. A company recognized globally for its comprehensive portfolio of services, strong commitment to sustainability and good corporate citizenship, Wipro has a dedicated workforce of over 170,000, serving clients across 6 continents. For more information, please visit www.wipro.com
Media Contacts:
Subhashini Pattabhiraman
Wipro Limited
subhashini.pattabhiraman@wipro.com
Melanie Boyer
First Book
mboyer@firstbook.org
+1 202-639-0144
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