Giving Compass' Take:

• The Rising Voices Library is a collection of books for K-5 classrooms that highlight stories about black and Latino boys that go largely unrepresented in children's literature.

• How will this curated library help young men of color feel empowered?

• Read about other philanthropic efforts that support black male achievement.

Today, Scholastic announced the Rising Voices Library, a new collection of books for K–5 classrooms containing high-interest, authentic texts that celebrate the stories of Black and Latino boys—some of the historically most underrepresented people in children's literature. The collection was curated with David C. Banks, President and CEO of the Eagle Academy Foundation and Founding Principal of The Eagle Academy for Young Men, an all-boys public school educating young men in grades 6–12 in New York City and Newark, New Jersey. The Rising Voices Library features nonfiction, biographical, and fiction titles paired with teaching materials designed to help foster rich classroom communities through deep discussions about social justice and identity development, helping students grow as leaders and independent thinkers.

"Classroom libraries set the tone for the types of learning experiences and conversations about books students will have throughout the school year, said Michael Haggen, Chief Academic Officer, Scholastic Education. "It's essential that every child's classroom library contains a wide breadth of stories, characters, and formats so that children see themselves reflected in the books they're surrounded by and have opportunities to learn from the lives and experiences of others. We're proud to collaborate with David C. Banks to curate the Rising Voices Library and change the scope of education by bringing positive role models into classrooms everywhere."

"The success of the Eagle Academy Foundation model demonstrates that young men of color thrive in academic environments where their identities are uplifted. When I worked with Scholastic to curate the Rising Voices Library collection, I wanted to expand the reach of our educational philosophy to classrooms across America," said David C. Banks, President and CEO of the Eagle Academy Foundation. "Positioning young men of color to succeed means teaching them that they can dream as big as the protagonists of their favorite novels. We owe it to all students to provide them with literature that can elevate their confidence, love of reading, and curiosity of the world."

Read the full article about Rising voiced classroom library from BMAfunders at Cision.