Teachers can raise funds for their classroom through Scholastic with a ClassroomsCount™ campaign. Here’s how one inspiring teacher used her campaign to create a more diverse classroom library. Start your own campaign to get books, magazines, and more trusted products in kids’ hands! 

Shaniqua Ashby, a teacher in Kentucky, says social studies is her passion. However, her students don't always feel the same way. 

In Shaniqua’s own words: “Social studies is my favorite thing to teach in the whole world. Through the years of teaching, kids have no knowledge of the world or other cultures and perspectives. All of that was certainly eliminated with George Floyd, with all of the comments on Facebook and things like that. I think if we’re exposing kids to different ideas and different perspectives through literature in elementary school, that can really open their minds to having more civil conversations and seeing things from a different perspective.”

One way to do that was by getting more books in her students' hands. 

Shaniqua originally set a goal of $300 to purchase a class set of Chains and Blood on the River through her Scholastic campaign. However, when that goal was exceeded quickly, she set her goal to $500 to get more books for her students—and ended up raising $765 total. 

“I did not expect that to happen at all, but I’m very grateful that people believed in my vision and me as an educator,” says Shaniqua. “It’s a really great way to let your community know what’s going on in your classroom.” 

Shaniqua purchased more diverse books for her classroom library with the extra funds that she raised. “I was able to get a lot of books with Black and Brown people at the center,” she says. “We’re bursting at the seams with books right now!”

Start your own ClassroomsCount™ campaign today.