Cultured Books and Keep St. Pete Lit are two outstanding local organizations. The literary institutions have partnered to create beautiful WORD Book Boxes for south St. Pete neighborhoods.
What is a WORD Book Box?
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These artfully designed and hand painted boxes have been distributed across four locations in the Sunshine City, and each is brimming with culturally inclusive books for kids.
Prolific artist/muralist Zulu Painter helped beautify each of the four boxes ahead of their grand reveal.
READ: Keep St. Pete Lit launches creative writing classes with Academy Prep
Where can you find a WORD Book Box?
- Thomas ‘Jet’ Jackson Recreation Center, 1000 28th Street South
- Community Health Centers of Pinellas at Johnnie Ruth Clarke, 1344 22nd Street South
- Jordan Park Apartments, 1245 Jordan Park Street South
- Child’s Park Recreation, 4301 13th Avenue South
The goal is to improve literacy rates, instill pride of self, and promote a scholarly culture within the children living in south St. Petersburg neighborhoods.
Local book lover’s like Blue Birds Book Bus provided ample donations for the initiative.
This program represents a partnership between the WORD! Initiative, a collective of Black Women dedicated to organizing real discussions and transformative experiences through Arts & Culture and Keep St Pete Lit! which celebrates and promotes greater St. Petersburg’s literary community – past, present and future – through arts, education and events with a literary twist.
https://www.facebook.com/WORDBookBox/photos/a.562636624600421/571154570415293/?type=3&theater
READ: Keep St. Pete Lit to launch HQ in Warehouse Arts District
To keep money in the local community all new books are purchased through Cultured Books, a pop-up children’s bookstore, with a mission to foster self love and broaden world views. It is a woman owned, African-American St. Pete bookstore.
AARP-Tampa Bay and J Crayton Pruitt Foundation have sponsored the initiative.
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