About Us
StoryBook Treasures is a non-profit organization with the goal of providing books and reading materials to promote literacy and education to ALL children. The StoryBook Treasures organization educates, inspires and empowers all children to experience the best children's literature in an educational setting. Our program helps children make vital comprehensive reading connections to literature while building a classroom and personal home library.
Our organization is vested in reaching and serving our country's most economically disadvantaged communities. These are the children who need the books most and otherwise would not have the opportunity or means. Providing a comprehensive experience that encourages these children to read empowers them to think beyond their classrooms and take pride in learning.
History
What began as a dream in a kindergarten classroom has evolved into a beloved supplementary literacy program supporting students in classrooms throughout the US. Founder, Denise Corbo, recalls when the idea for StoryBook Treasures first came to her:
"After 100% of my kindergarten students achieved a perfect score on their PALS test, I knew I needed to share what I did that year with other teachers. Living on a teacher salary and not having extra funds to start a nonprofit, I took on a job driving a limo for 2 1/2 years on the weekends to raise money and in 2014 started the nonprofit, StoryBook Treasures. Two gentlemen, Tom and Neal, hired me to drive them to some pretty amazing events and although they thought a "for profit" business would be the best way to make money, I decided against it because our mission is not about making money, it’s about impact and reaching as many children, families and teachers as possible. Both have since passed and I hope they are looking down from above, smiling at all of the children, educators, and parents who have been touched by the StoryBook Treasures program! Thank you to Tom, Neal, and so many others who have had a hand in supporting SBT over the years." ❤️🙏
Our Team
Advisory Board
Kelli Hayes
Stacy Connors
Janet Segerson
Natalie Walker
Dianne Lewis
Lisa Tartaglia
Title I & Equity
Research strongly supports the critical need for early literacy intervention and the value of programs like StoryBook Treasures. Reading with children at home, as championed within the SBT program model, is vital to children, especially those living in poverty. The need for building reading skills in children cannot be stressed enough.
The data shows that illiteracy is an underlying cause of incarceration, homelessness, welfare dependency, and many other barriers people face to living a happy life. If students are not reading by the 3rd grade, they typically never catch up, setting them up for a life of poverty and struggle.
85%
Of juvenile offenders are functionally low literate.
- National Assessment of Adult Literacy
$230 Billion
A year in health care costs is connected to low literacy.
- American Journal of Public Health
61%
Of low income families have no books at home.
- US Department of Education
30 Million
Adults in the United States cannot read/write above a 3rd grade level. - ProLiteracy