3rd graders collect over 1,100 books for families in need.
Third grade students at Littleton Academy have participated in a semester-long Service Learning Project focused on understanding the importance of helping those in need, enhancing cultural awareness, and fostering entrepreneurship. Their activities included researching and collecting books for a local Denver non-profit organization, Empowerment Program: Project Bedtime Stories. “This initiative provides incarcerated parents at Denver County Jail with a meaningful and often emotionally significant opportunity to share storytelling with their children. Each week, parents record themselves reading storybooks and add personal messages, after which the books and recordings are sent to their children to enjoy repeatedly. This project effectively bridges the physical distance between incarcerated parents and their children. In addition to offering comfort, it contributes to the child’s literary development, improves language and listening skills, promotes a love of reading, stimulates curiosity, fosters literacy within the family, enhances the child's prospects for academic and personal success, and strengthens familial bonds.”
Liz Graziano, the third-grade teacher at Littleton Academy, expressed her pride in her students’ achievements. "They have gone above and beyond in their dedication to our Service Learning Project. They have expanded their understanding of cultural awareness, empathy for others, and the significance of literacy skills. The math component of the project involved calculating worldwide, national, and local literacy and illiteracy rates, quantifying words read based on daily reading minutes, and examining how literacy impacts future success. Their goal was to collect 250 books. Through their diligent efforts, they collected a total of 1,154 books. This research deepened their empathy for those in need and demonstrated that even as third graders, they possess the capacity to make a meaningful difference in the world."
For students, these projects introduce real-world issues such as human dignity, science, mathematics, and social studies— directly into their classroom experience. They learn about the tangible impact of Project Bedtime Stories as they create their own meaningful contributions.
The culmination of their efforts was a presentation to classmates from first grade through middle school, with the CEO of Project Bedtime Stories personally attending to hear it and collect the donated books to support PBS.
Liz Graziano is also looking forward to conducting a workshop at CCIRA on Thursday, February 5, 2026. The workshop will equip participants with the skills necessary to design, develop, and implement Service-Learning Projects—an experiential learning approach that enables students to apply academic knowledge and critical thinking to address real community needs. This practical experience will invigorate essential topics such as cultural awareness and bring academic content to life, fostering an environment of genuine engagement and meaningful learning. Attendees will leave with essential tools and inspiration to motivate all students to become empathetic learners capable of making a tangible difference in the world.
