Help Lynn Vocational Technical Institute Students, the Lynn Teachers Union, and AFT Give Free Books to Lynn Kids!

A new partnership between the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), AFT Massachusetts, the Lynn Teachers Union, and a group of high school students from Lynn Vocational Technical Institute (LVTI) aims to raise funds to purchase 15,000 books for Lynn students via First Book.

In an effort to promote literacy, students from LVTI SkillsUSA chapter reached out to AFT Massachusetts to build a team of committed educators and students whose primary goal is to get more books in the hands of young people in their community.

“Our Chapter of SkillsUSA is excited about this opportunity to give back to the young people in our community,” said David Barrios, SkillsUSA Chapter President and a senior at Lynn Vocational Technical Institute. “It is no secret that the love of learning starts with the ability to read and write. These are two of the most essential skills all humans need for success. We hope people will support our endeavor to promote literacy. $1 goes a long way with First Books, so no donation is too small."

Donations can be made here. The AFT, AFT Massachusetts, and the Lynn Teachers Union are each donating $1,000. Once the funds are raised, a book giveaway will be scheduled in early December.

“We’re excited to help the SkillsUSA students at LVTI raise funds to help promote literacy for all students in Lynn,” said Beth Kontos, President of AFT Massachusetts. “These young leaders understand the importance of reading, and it’s great to see them work so hard to help every child in Lynn experience the joy of reading and the power of learning.”

“We were delighted when the LTVI students came to us looking for help with encouraging reading in our community,” said Sheila O’Neil, President of the Lynn Teachers Union. “Literacy is such an important part of how our kids develop and learn, and it’s great to see these students active and engaged in helping their younger peers.”

SkillsUSA is a national organization serving more than 300,000 high school and college students and professional members who are enrolled in training programs in technical, skilled, and service occupations, including health occupations. The program provides opportunities for members to develop individually and improve teamwork, leadership and professional skills through a focus on education, commitment to service, and participation in competitive experiences.

Since 1992, First Book has distributed more than 175 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low income families in more than 30 countries. First Book currently reaches an average of 3 million children every year and supports more than one in four of the estimated 1.3 million classrooms and programs serving children in need. With an additional 1,000 educators joining each week, First Book is the largest and fastest-growing network of educators in the United States exclusively serving kids in need.