Daisy Noh (IA, ‘22) has always been a huge book lover, so while distance learning at home she wanted to introduce her younger brother to the imaginative and creative world of literature. As she acted out the entire Harry Potter book series for her brother, Noh said she rediscovered her love for working with kids and reading.
This small step propelled her into addressing the issue of a lack of access to literacy among kids in the community with the help of her fellow OCSA students through a club called Book Bears. Today, the club has grown to become an organization with members from all over the world who promote literacy and make reading more accessible for children.
“Facts like ‘64% of low income households don't have access to books in their home’ made us realize how lucky we were to have had ample access to books to have people who encouraged us to read since we were little. Seeing how that's impacted our lives now, in terms of academics especially, was like an awakening of the privilege that we held. I think that was the main catalyst for our mission statement,” Noh said.
Book Bears began with a blog to promote their events and a social media campaign encouraging a sense of community among readers. People were encouraged to take photos of themselves reading and post them on social media using #BookBound. Next, the organization hosted its first big event: virtual storytimes with local kindergarten students in the Clairmont School District. These storytimes not only provided free and accessible entertainment, but also actively engaged the students in the readings. Book Bears volunteers prepared fun questions for after each reading and students were welcome to share their reactions and opinions, creating a meaningful community experience.
“We initially came in and knew this would be a fun way to engage and continue reading, but then we realized we could also be a bright spot for the kids during a challenging time when they felt disconnected. I think that was an impact that we didn't anticipate, which was super incredible,” she said.
As the team learned from their experience, Noh said she wanted to expand the organization’s pursuit in literacy advocacy and raising awareness. Like many youth-based organizations, she turned to the magic of social media to spread her message and gather support. Book Bears quickly went from a team of four OCSA students to a team of 33 members spread across the globe.
“It's been really great because our team members are from all over the world, but most of us are from OCSA because that's where me and my co-founder are based. So, it's been really great getting to use OCSA, family and community to help with some of our events,” she said.
With the expansion of the Book Bears team, the organization itself has also seen growth. The Book Bears blog has its own editor-in-chief and multiple staff writers who focus on engagement and the importance of reading. It has become a platform for student writers to discuss topics they are passionate about, to raise awareness about literacy topics and to encourage a genuine love for reading.
“I think seeing Book Bears as a platform to also empower our team members, to give them a chance to be leaders and to see how they're making an impact, that was a positive but unexpected thing that we didn't realize we were doing,” Noh said.
Noh’s organization also holds many different kinds of events in addition to the virtual storytimes. Book Bears holds fundraisers in support of youth literacy in classrooms around the country, including a recent event that provided classroom supplies for a first grade teacher in New York. The organization partners with OCSA’s National Honor Society and the California Scholarship Federation to host book drives at the school that benefit the local community. Volunteers of the organization also contribute to the Book Bears YouTube channel, which provides easy access to engaging stories and videos for children who may not have a parent or guardian available to read to them. Noh said her favorite project is the Book Bears book making event where volunteer artists and creative writers are paired with kids to create an original book.
She said she is looking forward to adding even more events to this year’s schedule, including library events like the upcoming Game Night at the Brea Library. This event furthers the mission of engaging young readers by bringing them together to play games that focus on reading comprehension, vocabulary words and more.
As the school year comes to a close, Noh will graduate and pass Book Bears to the next generation of high school students willing to take on the challenge of youth literacy advocacy. Current vice president and project manager, Avery Mizrahi (IA, '24) will become the new leader of Book Bears this coming fall. Noh is currently training the very passionate and spirited Mizrahi, and said she is confident that she found the perfect candidate for continuing the Book Bears vision. Noh is also in the process of certifying Book Bears as an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization — an extremely exciting step that will allow for more opportunities in the future.
To support Book Bears, be sure to follow them on Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter.