Students in Marilyn Blouin's Grade 1 class at Raft River Elementary School hold up some of the reading material purchased with help from a $2,000 grant to the school from Wells Gray Community Forest.
Standing behind them are (l-r) Raise-a-Reader rep. Kerry Milner-Cairns, PAC representative Shelley Sim, community forest manager George Brcko, and community forest board members Dave Meehan and Richard Christenson.
Like many teachers, Blouin spends $800 to $1,200 of her own money each year to provide reading materials for her classroom. This was the first time in 35 years of teaching that anyone has offered to help out, she says.