Family Literacy Backpack Project

The Holyoke Rotary Club funded a pilot project of 21 backpacks at the Dr. Marcella R. Kelly
Elementary school at a cost of $200 per pack. The teachers were unanimous in rating the
project as a “success”.  The backpacks may be “borrowed” by the student for 1 to 2 weeks
and then returned for another theme backpack, or they may be used in the classroom. 
There are over 35 different theme backpacks such as “Rocks and Minerals”, “Our Solar
System”, “Sea Life”’ “Dinosaurs”, “Math”, “Poetry”, “Insects”, “Cultures of the World”,
and “Our Community”.  There are different themes for different ages.  Some backpacks are
in Spanish with a focus on promoting English.  The assistant principal at Kelly School
reported that the literacy backpacks not only “provided the classroom teacher a vehicle to
teach the Massachusetts state standards (in science, math and social studies) but also built
and reinforced social skills and etiquette”. 

These Family Literacy Backpacks were designed and created by Square One for use in their
afterschool programs.   The effectiveness of the backpacks has been demonstrated in the
Springfield Community Based Organization report 2006/2007 which reflected that students
who attended Square One afterschool programs outperformed their peers in the district in
language, reading and math.

This project was so successful that we put together a community partnership to fund an
additional 100 Family Literacy backpacks for distribution in all elementary schools in Holyoke
for use in the first, second and third grades.  The total cost of the second phase of the
project was $20,000. 

The following organizations participated in funding this project:

• Holyoke Rotary Club;
• The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts –
  Nan and Matilda Heydt  Fund;
• United Bank Foundation;
• Ross Insurance Agency;
• Holyoke Gas & Electric