As technologies and economies evolve, it is imperative that we equip the next generation with an interest in lifelong learning, be it in STEM subjects or literature and the arts. In partnership with First Book – a non-profit social enterprise – Wipro has distributed over 300,000 books worldwide since 2015.
Wipro’s CEO Gifting Program is also an intrinsic part of this program. High-quality books and educational resources were shared across 779 programs/schools in 5 continents, distributing new books to more than 79,000 children during the holiday season in 2019.
Wipro continues its tradition of the CEO Gifting program. First Book and Wipro Partners in six regions worldwide are working to distribute over 30,500 books to children in need by the beginning of April 2021.
Over the years, hundreds of Wipro volunteers have hosted employee engagements at elementary schools, gifted and read-aloud diverse, bilingual books, provided backpacks, helped build and rebuild classroom libraries, and more.
Key Highlights
421,661 books distributed globally
306,970 books distributed in the US
368,867 of children impacted globally
Guiding Principles
With premium, hardcover children’s books cost an average of $18, books are unaffordable for low-income families and educators. The objective was to invest in education by providing high-quality books and educational resources for schools and programs across North America and globally.
Educators can select which books to order, allowing them to choose titles that best fit their students’ needs. Timely access to critical resources can help develop a lifelong love of learning and success among children.
Engage Wipro employees in fundraising activities that directly impacted the children and teachers in their local community.
COVID-19 Intervention
During the pandemic, when uncertainty prevailed, we heard that 86% of member educators were more concerned about children having no books in the home for an extended period than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. Wipro and First Book listened to educators and provided them with books and resources that helped their students change into a new way of learning and life. Through thoughtful outreach and engagement from Wipro employees to established school partners and connect with new, Title I schools in Wipro’s key, US markets, educators could choose the books that would support their students’ growth as readers and learners the most.
Pivoting the program allowed educators to plan book delivery dates, times, and locations, as schools opened and closed throughout the year. Each school had a different method of distributing books, whether through planned outdoor pickups, drop-offs done by teachers and volunteers, or when kids were in the classroom.