Educate Girls Everywhere launched its third campaign Monday to promote children’s literacy and accessible education. 

The organization, founded by Brynn Aaronson when she was a sophomore at Evanston Township High School, supports expanding girls’ access to education. 

Its “Turn the Page” campaign, which ends March 21, will support Reach Out and Read,a national nonprofit that promotes children’s literacy and social-emotional health. The organization partners with pediatric medical professionals who both encourage parents to read aloud regularly with their children and provide the parents with books and knowledge to nurture early learning. 

“With the pandemic causing profound negative learning impacts, especially on younger and disadvantaged students, Educate Girls Everywhere feels it is more important than ever to use all available channels to get books into kids’ hands,” said Aaronson, who is now a senior at the Interlochen Center for the Arts.. 

The group plans to fundraise through EGE merchandise sales of stickers and face masks and direct donations, and will donate all money raised to Reach Out and Read. 

Previous EGE projects have raised more than $8,000 for female students in Belize and Zambia, where the group spoke with community leaders to determine where EGE needed to direct its resources.  While EGE initially centered its work on supporting girls abroad, the coronavirus pandemic has turned its focus domestically, as many households across the U.S. grapple with an increase in food insecurity, limited educational opportunities and mental health concerns.  

“There’s a shift in the mission, but this campaign is important,” Aaronson said. “I hope it’ll be successful and help in any kind of way.”

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Twitter: @ejun_kim 

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