PLANO, Texas, Aug. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Pizza Hut and
First Book today announced the launch of Empowering Educators – a
collection of resources developed to provide educators with
guidance and actionable steps to create equitable learning
environments and navigate conversations about race and racism. They
unveiled the initiative during a virtual event, "Empowering
Educators: A Convening on Racial Equity in Education," hosted by
American University's Antiracist
Research and Policy Center. The timely launch of these resources
comes as the nation seeks to address issues of systemic racism
during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has presented additional
unprecedented challenges this school year.
These resources were created in response to a 2019 survey by
First Book Research & Insights where 66 percent of educators
indicated they wanted to proactively talk about race with students
but didn't feel comfortable doing so. In a follow up poll to assess
whether conducting conversations about race with students was more,
less or equally as important as it was six months ago, educators
indicated conversations about race and racism have always been
important but are now getting the appropriate prioritization.
"From the neighborhood to the national level, America is on a
critical journey: from identifying racism, to deeper
understanding – and finally to dismantling systemic racism," said
Kyle Zimmer, president, CEO and
co-founder of First Book. "To support this journey, First Book is
honored to partner with Pizza Hut to launch an unprecedented effort
to empower educators – and the children they serve. These
resources, and the important conversations they enable, will
inspire and enlighten all of us as we work together with our
educators to elevate equal opportunities for all of our
children."
Empowering Educators includes an introductory guidebook on
antiracist pedagogy, an instructional video series, and other
forthcoming educational resources. Developed for K-12 educators,
the collection includes suggested books and activities to use with
children at various ages, and features guidance on conversation
modeling as well as answers to some of the most asked questions
received in First Book's 2019 survey. Empowering Educators
resources can also be used by organizations, community action
agencies, and families looking to build their understanding and
awareness around creating equity in education. The guidebook and
video series are free and available for anyone to access at
www.firstbook.org/EmpoweringEducators.
The unveiling of this year-long project comes as Pizza Hut
recently appointed its first Chief Equity Officer, Chequan Lewis.
"Pizza Hut is introducing a new chapter in our long-standing
commitment to literacy – focused on the intersection of equity and
education," said Lewis. "When we launched BOOK IT! 36 years ago, we
set out to equip educators with relevant resources that would
inspire their students. Pizza Hut is continuing this legacy today,
but we're taking it a step further – providing resources that help
us chase equity by celebrating diversity, teaching empathy, and
creating a safe space for everyone to learn while feeling
comfortable as their authentic selves."
Pizza Hut and First Book engaged renowned subject matter experts
to develop Empowering Educators, including:
- Christine Platt, Managing
Director, Antiracist Research & Policy Center at American University
- Britt Hawthorne,
Anti-Bias Antiracist Educator and Consultant
- Tiffany Jewell, NYT Best
Selling Author and Antiracist Anti-Bias Educator and
Consultant
- Liz Kleinrock,
Award-Winning Educator and Founder, Teach & Transform
- Catherine Wigginton Greene, Executive
Director of Content & Engagement, Point Made Learning
- Cornelius Minor, Author
and Anti-Bias Antiracist Educator
- Julye Williams, Senior
Advisor, First Book
"Contributing to the resources that make up the Empowering
Educators series has been without a doubt the most phenomenal
project I've had the honor of working on over the past year," said
Christine Platt. "In the midst of
our turbulent social and political climate, people are demanding
more than statements of solidarity. Individuals and organizations
are understanding the importance and need for racial equity
education and awareness, and these resources will be instrumental
in furthering their important work."
DIVERSE BOOKS: STORIES FOR ALL PROJECTTM
As
a companion to the Empowering Educators Collection, Pizza Hut and
First Book have selected five of the most popular diverse titles on
the First Book Marketplace and re-issued them in first-ever,
affordable paperback editions. They will distribute 75,000
copies of these special-edition paperbacks, which are warm,
affirming picture books that explore meaningful elements of
identity that will be relatable to all readers.
- Alma and How She Got Her Name in English
and Alma y cómo obtuvo su nombre in Spanish
– written and illustrated by Juana
Martinez-Neal, published by Candlewick Press
- Bilal Cooks
Daal – written by Aisha
Saeed and illustrated by Anoosha Syed, published by Simon
& Schuster
- Drawn Together – written by Minh Le and illustrated by Dan Santat, published
by Hachette
- Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story –
written by Kevin Noble Maillard and
illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal,
published by Macmillan
- Mommy's Khimar – written by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow and illustrated by
Ebony Glenn, published by Simon
& Schuster
Pizza Hut selected these titles from First Book's Stories for
All Project™, which curates new, relevant, high-quality books
representing diverse characters, voices, and life circumstances and
makes them available and affordable to educators who support kids
in need. Books that feature characters from diverse cultures and
backgrounds provide kids with rich insights and opportunities to
learn more about themselves and others.
They also provide teachers with valuable tools for communication
and open avenues for dialogue and increased understanding by
students. First Book's 2019 survey of registered members showed
that 86% of educators need funding to purchase books and resources
that support their efforts to create more inclusive classrooms.
To learn more about the Empowering Educators Collection and
access the various resources, you can visit
firstbook.org/EmpoweringEducators. Stay up to date on all things
Pizza Hut by following along
on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
About Pizza Hut®
Pizza Hut, a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM), has more
restaurant locations in the world than any other pizza company.
Founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kan.,
Pizza Hut operates over 18,000 restaurants in more than 100
countries.
With easy order options including the Pizza Hut app, mobile
site, and Amazon and Google devices, Pizza Hut is committed to
providing an easy pizza experience – from order to delivery – and
has Hut Rewards, the Pizza Hut loyalty program that offers points
for every dollar spent on food any way you order.
Pizza Hut has built a legacy of nurturing a love of reading
through its BOOK IT! Program, which has impacted more than 65
million students in 35 years. The pizza company strengthened its
commitment in 2016 when it launched Pizza Hut: The Literacy
Project, a commitment to impacting 100 million lives by enabling
access to books and educational resources, empowering teachers and
inspiring readers. Since 2016, Pizza Hut has impacted over 26.2
million lives through its literacy initiatives and programs. For
more information, visit www.pizzahut.com. Pizza Hut is the Official
and Only Pizza Sponsor of the NFL and NCAA®.
About First Book
Founded in Washington, D.C., in
1992 as a 501(c)3 nonprofit social enterprise, First Book is a
leader in the educational equity field. Over its 27-year history,
First Book has distributed more than 185 million books and
educational resources, with a value of more than $1.5 billion.
First Book believes education offers children in need the best path
out of poverty. First Book breaks down barriers to quality
education by providing its network of more than 475,000 registered
teachers, librarians, after school program leaders, and others
serving children in need with millions of free and affordable new,
high-quality books, educational resources, and basic needs items
through the award-winning First Book Marketplace nonprofit
eCommerce site. The First Book Network comprises the largest and
fastest-growing community of formal and informal educators serving
children in need.
First Book also expands the breadth and depth of the education
field through a family of social enterprises, including First Book
Research & Insights, its proprietary research initiative, and
the First Book Accelerator, which brings best-in-class research to
the classroom via relevant, usable educator resources. First Book
Impact Funds target support to areas of particular need, such as
rural communities or increasing diversity in children's books.
For more information, visit firstbook.org or follow the latest
news on Facebook and Twitter.
About American University
The mission of
The Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University is to produce knowledge for
change's sake. We engage in research of racial inequity and
discrimination that leads to policy innovation and implementation.
In its 127-year history, American
University has established a reputation for producing
changemakers focused on the challenges of a changing world. AU has
garnered recognition for global education, public service,
experiential learning and politically active and diverse students,
as well as academic and research expertise in a wide range of areas
including the arts, sciences, humanities, business and
communication, political science and policy, governance, law and
diplomacy.
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