Gearing Up for Our First Ride of the Year: Bikes for Books
Have you heard of IMCAP’s new program, Bikes for Books? We are on a mission to partner with Illinois Lodges to encourage reading in local schools. While this is a new program, some Lodges have already jumped on the opportunity. Those Lodges include:
May Lodge #718
Mississippi Lodge #385
Douglas Lodge #361
Flora Lodge #204
What is Bikes for Books? And what does IMCAP Director Gale Kilbury have in that box?
The Bikes for Books program is a Lodge based program to motivate students to read more and fosters a partnership between the Lodge and the local school. Lodges can use the program for grades pre-k through 5th grade. The basis is pretty simple: every book a student reads equals a ticket in a drawing for a bike.
What is unique about this program is that the fine details are all up to the Lodge and the school. You decide what grades to offer the program to, how long the program will run, and the details of the drawing at the end of the program. IMCAP is here to support your efforts and provide materials.
So, that leads us to what is in the box.
IMCAP send a box with promotional material to Lodges that wish to participate in the program. The materials can then be used at the school to encourage students to engage. Items in the box include:
A foam board poster with the Lodge’s name
A self-adhesive poster with the Lodge’s name
Reading tickets for students to fill out when they complete a book
Reading stickers for the school to hand out with the reading ticket
IMCAP also has a press release, permission slips, and a guide to ensure that your Bikes for Books program is a success.
Where does the bike come in?
IMCAP purchases the bike on behalf of the Lodge to award to the winning student. After a student has been selected, IMCAP will work with the student’s parents to ensure we provide a bike perfect for them. The only thing that the Lodge needs to purchase is a bike helmet.
So, what do you think? Is this a program that your Lodge may be interested in? If so, contact IMCAP to get started.
For more information on Bike for Books and all of IMCAP’s programs, visit IMCAP.org.