Student Leadership in Action: Zara's 123Read2Me Book Drive

Student Leadership in Action: Zara’s 123Read2Me Book Drive

As part of my commitment to making a difference in our community, I initiated and led a school-wide book drive in partnership with 123Read2Me, helping provide books for children who may not otherwise have the opportunity to own them.

The idea began when I reached out to Melinda at 123Read2Me to share my vision for the project. Once it was approved, I worked closely with Mrs Whatmore and Mr Anderson to bring the initiative to life. I took responsibility for promoting the book drive by creating posters, visiting every classroom and speaking at school assemblies to encourage students and families to get involved. To build excitement and motivate participation, I also organised a book voucher from our local bookshop, Ulysses Bookstore, for the top individual reader and a pizza party for the winning class. Congratulations to Elise G in Year 5 and class 5D on making the greatest donations!

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our school community, we collected over 2,000 books! One of the highlights of the project was delivering the donations to 123Read2Me and meeting Melinda in person, seeing firsthand how our efforts would help make a difference in the lives of other children.

Leading this initiative has been an incredibly rewarding experience. It has taught me the value of taking the initiative, working collaboratively, communicating with others and inspiring a community to work towards a shared goal. I am especially proud that this project can become part of my legacy at St Mary’s Hampton, with the hope that the book drive will continue every Book Week for years to come. Knowing that this initiative can live on beyond my own involvement makes it even more meaningful, as future students will have the opportunity to continue sharing the joy of reading with children in need. I am proud of what we have achieved together and grateful to everyone who supported my idea and helped turn it into reality. 

Together, we can make a difference, one book at a time!