Heather Farquharson, Executive Director of First Book Canada, leads a transformative mission to close the educational gap for children in low-income and historically excluded communities. By providing books to homes that lack access, First Book Canada empowers young readers to build social and emotional skills that will benefit them throughout their lives. Since its founding, First Book Canada has developed a robust network of over 20,000 educators and professionals dedicated to serving children in need, with a focus on creating equitable educational opportunities across the country. As Heather reflects on her journey with First Book Canada, she notes a significant shift in access, though millions of Canadian kids still lack the essential resources needed to succeed. This giving season, First Book Canada encourages readers to help support their goal of reaching more children by donating or organizing a book club fundraiser to share the joy of reading with Canada’s future generations.
Describe your charity/non-profit/volunteer work in a few sentences.
We are a social enterprise and a charity, using a market-based model to disrupt the current system. Along with our book publishing partners, we are filling the gap in book ownership. We are working to ensure that kids in need have as much opportunity as possible, to build a healthy future for themselves and the rest of Canadians. By building up the home libraries of children from low-income and historically excluded communities, we work to develop resilient communities and reduce the educational inequities that entrench many Canadians in poverty.
First Book Canada is building a world where every Canadian child has access to a quality education. We work to remove barriers to education and level the playing field for kids in need. At the heart of our work are the 20,000 members of the First Book Canada Network, the largest community of educators and professionals dedicated to children in need throughout Canada. We couldn’t do this important work without our partners.
What problem does it aim to solve?
Access to books in the home is essential to a child’s social and emotional learning and development. Books provide children with critical tools to learn and succeed.
In Canada, “[t]oo many Indigenous children, children of some racialized groups, children with disabilities and children in care are at the bottom of the education gap, as are many children living in poverty.” [Children] who [come] from a home filled with books, “become as literate, numerate and technologically apt in adulthood as university graduates who grew up with only a few books.” (Source: -David Morley, President and CEO, UNICEF Canada in his introduction to e UNICEF Report Card 15, Canadian Companion).
When did you start/join it?
2024 marks the 15th year of eliminating barriers and inspiring the young minds of Canadian kids in need. I’ve been with the First Book since 2017.
What made you want to get involved?
I have always been an avid reader. I wanted to apply my business and social impact development skills and experience to bringing the power of storytelling to all Canadian kids.
What was the situation like when you started?
In the early 2000s approximately a 1/4 of Canadian households didn’t have books.
How has it changed since?
We now serve approximately 1/4 of kids from low-income and/or historically excluded communities.
What more needs to be done?
There are 1.2 million Canadian kids living in low-income households. We need to provide inspiring and essential books to all.
How can our readers help?
Get your book club together and create a fundraiser to put powerful stories into the hands of kids in need.
Do you have any events coming up?
We have just kicked off our fundraising campaign for the 2024 giving season. Help us to reach more children by donating here.
We will have a large book distribution event in the GTA in the winter of 2025.
Where can we follow you?
PAY IT FORWARD: What is an awesome local charity that you love?
