Maui’s current generation of children have endured much in the past few years. Covid isolated them and pushed them into online learning for which many were unprepared and lacked resources. When they returned to campus, they had to relearn how to engage with others face to face. Just when life appeared to be returning to a sense of normalcy, children witnessed the devastating fires in Lahaina and Kula. In the space of a day, their familiar world disappeared.

On top of this, in today’s fast-paced, tech-driven world, many simply don’t read much anymore. In our emoji era, we prefer brisk messages that quickly get to the point. We bemoan long email messages and skip over them if they don’t hold our interest beyond the second sentence. Today’s children are learning to do the same from adults.

Unfortunately, all of this means many youth are not receiving the formative foundation necessary for the healthy development of their minds. This can hinder academic success and informed civic engagement.

It’s time to turn the tide and restore the power of books. Literacy is critical to academic success and overall well-being. That’s why the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly (UHPA), in collaboration with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and First Book, a nonprofit organization founded in 1992, is providing books at no cost to families. This ensures every child can have access to new, high-quality books.

Reading helps students of all ages develop language skills and help them better understand the world around them. Reading also helps develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. As educators, we know books also support children’s mental and emotional health by providing respite from daily challenges. The stories in books can provide young readers time to simply be children. Stories about heroes can also inspire them to dream about new possibilities for their own lives.

UHPA members know literacy is critical to academic success. Providing access to new, thoughtful titles and enduring classics opens exciting doors and can prepare children to be college ready. Reading is also a way to welcome diversity of thought, the foundation of academic success and a component of critical thinking necessary in today’s increasingly complex and divisive world.

This past May, AFT and First Book celebrated a major milestone of giving out more than 10 million brand-new free books at schools, community centers, faith-based institutions and union halls over the last decade to help children discover the joy of reading. Together, the two organizations co-sponsored more than 700 events in 41 states to promote literacy to thousands of attendees, particularly in under-resourced communities.

We’re now introducing the “Reading Opens the World” program to Hawai’i, starting where the need is greatest: Lahaina. We will be giving life-changing books to Maui students, from pre-kindergarten to high school, with Princess Nāhi’ena’ena Elementary School serving as our distribution point.

This will fill the need for new, physical books, restore hope, and rekindle passion for life and the future among Maui youth. It is our gift to nā haumāna, students, and we hope this is the first of many more First Book events in Hawai’i.

Karla Hayashi is director of Kilohana: The Academic Success Center at the University of Hawai’i at Hilo and president of the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly (UHPA), and Nani Azman is professor of psychology at University of Hawai’i Maui College and UHPA vice president.