Tuesday, August 10, 2010

NY School Seeking Comic Book Donations

I frequently get messages from organizations who are seeking comic book doantions for their educational programs. I also hear from people that would like to donate their comics but don't know of any group that needs them. So from now on I'm posting any and all requests to the blog.

If you have a collection that you would like to donate or if you are working with a group that uses comics for education purposes please send me an e-mail and I'll try to help get the word out.
First up is a request from Schenectady, NY:

Our Comic Books Literacy Initiative began as a curriculum mapping project for my administrative degree. Even though the ELA scores in our school (Van Corlaer Elementary School) have been tops in the Schenectady City School District for two years running, we are still looking for ways to be better. Looking at the data from our scores, we noticed a gap between male and female scores, with the girls scoring higher. My own childhood interest in art and reading was dramatically enhanced by reading comic books, so we have decided to use the natural appeal of comics to children to spark their interest in reading.

Our program will begin with the accumulation of a comics library, followed by teachers brainstorming ways to incorporate them into the reading/writing curriculum in their classrooms at ALL grade levels, K-6. We plan on having students produce their own characters and comics, and will form a comic book club. The club will serve as a place for students to read, discuss, and create comics. Along the way, without them even knowing it, we will be using the dynamic medium of comic book art and writing to boost their reading and writing skills.


We are actively engaged now in seeking donations of comic books and graphic novels that would be appropriate for grades Kindergarten through 6th grades. Anybody interested in making a donation of comic books, posters, or anything that could be of use to our initiative can contact:


Walter Mahoski

Van Corlaer Elementary School
2300 Guilderland Avenue
Schenectady, NY 12306
(518) 370-8270

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