Abbott Elementary has announced plans to launch free book fairs for lower-income students. In partnership with Scholastic Books, the efforts will bring new reads to students across the country this spring. According to Variety, the program will take place at seven Title 1 schools between March 14 and 18 with each student receiving two free books and each teacher getting 10.
“Abbott Elementary shines light on and reflects the experiences and challenges faced by our country’s educators,” expressed Erin Weir, executive vice president of marketing for ABC & General Entertainment according to the outlet. “We had an extraordinary opportunity and responsibility to amplify that mission in our series marketing efforts. Giving back to this deserving community has been a pillar of our campaign from day one, and thanks to several incredible partnerships, like our collaboration with Scholastic, we’ve had the great fortune of celebrating teachers through supply donations, grassroots activations, and more, while also sharing the joy of our hilarious new comedy.”
The first school up is creator Quinta Brunson’s own, Harrity Elementary in Philadelphia. Diehl Elementary in Erie, Pa., Bond Elementary in Chicago, Dayton’s Bluff Elementary in Minneapolis, Freeman Elementary in Flint, Mich., and Cortada Elementary and Florence Griffith Joyner Elementary in Los Angeles are also schools selected for the program.
And our first school is the elementary school I went to, Harrity ❤️ let's get it @Scholastic ? https://t.co/5u4EXWATu0
— quinta brunson (@quintabrunson) March 9, 2022
ABC also announced a continuation of its Traveling Teacher’s Lounge initiative, which provides teachers with books from Scholastic, classroom supplies, and breakfast. With the relaunch, teachers will also be gifted with Abbott Elementary branded merchandise.
The first round of the lounge, which began on Jan. 3 and visited schools in Philadelphia, New York, New Jersey, and Maryland, donated more than 1,000 books, 10,000 notebooks, 100,000 writing utensils, and 15,000 art and craft materials. The traveling program is scheduled to hit Dallas on March 10, Houston on March 11, Santa Fe, N.M. on March 15, Phoenix on March 16, Reno, Nev. on March 18, and Los Angeles on March 22.
Since its debut, Abbott Elementary has soared in ratings and popularity. The 30-minute comedy, starring Brunson herself as well as Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lisa Ann Walter, Jacob Hill, Janelle James, and Tyler James Williams has earned ABC high rankings. According to a press release, after seven days of viewing across linear and digital platforms, Abbott Elementary tripled its initial live+same-day rating to hit a 1.8 rating. The series also nearly doubled its total-viewer average after seven days of multiplatform viewing to hit 5.9 million viewers from 3.1 million.
Watch the official teaser trailer for Abbott Elementary below.