Behind the Book
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Mission Statement
Behind the Book (BtB) develops engaged readers and writers in underserved NYC public schools by designing and delivering programs that are multi-disciplinary, culturally responsive, and promote deeper connections between books and their authors.
About This Cause
In the past 18 years, BtB has engaged more than 19,985 students in 815 classrooms, as well as donated 82,615 books to students, classroom libraries, and the surrounding community. Behind the Book’s (BtB) programs take place in Title l schools. We bring high quality, diverse literature and nonfiction to classrooms, introduce students to the authors of those books, and engage them in writing and art projects around a theme from the anchor texts. Programs are embedded in the classroom curriculum and meet the Common Core Learning Standards. They are completed during the school day over 2-3 months, consisting of 6-9 workshops that include working directly with the author, art, drama, writing, and relevant field trips. Once the anchor text has been identified and the author has agreed to participate, BtB’s program coordinator creates a program plan designed to fully immerse students in the experience of the book, deepen their connection to the author, and support them in the production of their own written work. Our customized programs have covered a variety of topics, including STEM, social justice, coding, entrepreneurship, and superheroes. BtB’s unique combination of workshops provides students with opportunities to develop critical thinking skills, outlets for creativity, and the chance to build self-confidence. These are the pillars upon which each program is built and why our programs are effective. Last year, over 90% of students in our partner schools identified as people of color. Diverse authors who come from similar backgrounds serve as an inspiration to our students and are an important consideration when BtB selects books for the teachers to choose from for the program. In the 2020-21 academic year, 63% of BtB programs featured authors of color, 87% of books used had diverse main characters and, during a non-pandemic year, typically 50% of programs are social justice themed. BtB programs that fall under the Social Justice Initiative (SJI) address many issues including gentrification, gun violence, immigration, and the environment. BtB has seen growth in its SJI programs because these books speak to the environment and the lived experiences of our students, most of whom are Black and Brown. BtB commissioned a white paper in collaboration with Teachers College at Columbia University on best practices in literacy engagement, which showed that: Student engagement increases when educators deliberately create a culture that expects students to give feedback to their teachers about their personal experiences in class, as well as share what and how they want to learn. Such a culture occurs when teachers respond to those suggestions by making visible changes to instruction. Authentic or real-world reading and writing tasks increase student engagement. When the audience for writing widens to include people other than just their teacher, students experience an increased sense of agency and engagement in the writing process. Dynamic and long-lasting engagement comes from the combination of student agency (how do students use their voice to influence their education?), community (how do the people surrounding students influence their perception of school?), and the organizing structures of school (how does student voice influence the structure and organization of the school?). Our customized programs have covered a variety of topics, including STEM, social justice, coding, entrepreneurship, and superheroes. BtB’s unique combination of workshops provides students with opportunities to develop critical thinking skills, outlets for creativity, and the chance to build self-confidence. These are the pillars upon which each program is built and why our programs are effective.