Managing the CCS At Home Library Initiative, a partnership between CCS and Scholastic, we worked to distribute over 2 million books to over 45,000 students in just three short years. Each book was hand-chosen by grade level and packaged with a custom note helping families connect to district themes. Jen sits on the LiteracyPro advisory board and has consulted on numerous Scholastic projects.

Bookelicous is about creating a reading identity and using it to spark joy. In a partnership managed by Jen, thousands of children created custom bundles of books, giving them voice and choice in what they read. Our work with the Bookelicious team resulted in a 40% increase in the number of students who found it easy to find books they were motivated to read. Additionally, we have collaborated on data collection, professional development, book clubs, and author visits. As a result, Jennifer is now a National Literacy Advisor for Bookelicious.

Less than 40% of children are prepared with basic literacy skills when they enter Kindergarten. Dr. Sara Bode and her team at Nationwide Children’s Hospital are working to combat this statistic through family education and empowerment. Their work has resulted in over 1,100 early literacy screenings during a routine well-visit appointment. Our work with the team led to coordinator training in the basics of the Science of Reading, the development of parent resources, and strategically chosen manipulatives to support the five essential components of literacy and writing.

The Success by Third Grade team at United Way of Central Ohio are valued thought partners, and they share our vision of creating systemic change within our literacy landscape. We have worked together on community & agency training, tutoring programs, fundraising, and strategic planning.

In an effort to eliminate the summer slide and provide families with aligned summer learning materials, we partnered with Lakeshore Learning on the creation of customized literacy kits for three consecutive years. Management of this project included intense attention to detail to ensure the needs of the district and their students were met. Over 30,000 of these kits have been distributed to children in Central Ohio.

Highlights For Children is known for their beloved magazines that include stories, games, puzzles, and riddles. Working with Columbus City Schools, we have partnered to create the first customized cover of the Highlights Magazine for a school district. We have since worked with their Math team to customize the cover of brainPLAY, another Highlights magazine. We managed designing, logistics, and distribution. As a result of this work, Jennifer had the privilege of sitting on the Zaner-Bloser advisory panel.

In an effort to align their work across the district, the Columbus City Schools Departments of Teaching and Learning and Transformation and Leadership are working together to increase clarity and collaboration. Jennifer serves as their Collaborative Leadership Project Manager to ensure structure and accountability toward their agreed-upon goals. This work has enhanced effectiveness among the teams, ultimately enhancing student success.