Wipro, First Book Bring New Books to Seattle Area Kids in Need

Partnership focused on promoting power of reading

Seattle, USA, August 22, 2017 — Five thousand books are being donated to students in the Seattle area as a result of a partnership between Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO), a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company and First Book. First Book is a nonprofit social enterprise that has delivered more than 160 million books and educational resources to programs and schools with children in need.

The books will be distributed to registered First Book members in the Seattle area, providing additional education resources in the community where Wipro employees live and work. The books will be used to stock classroom libraries, facilitate reading circles, and help students build their home libraries.

Wipro’s presence in Seattle includes its development centers in Redmond and Bellevue, serving clients in the high tech and capital market sectors, among others. Last September, local Wipro employees hosted a Spirit of Wipro run, which included a 5K run, kid’s run, and family picnic with activities.

Launched in 1998, the First Book National Book Bank is the first and only centralized distribution system for large-scale children’s book donations from publishers to schools and programs serving kids in need. The National Book Bank distributes 10 million books annually, and with Wipro’s support, more than 19,000 of these books will be donated to schools and programs in Seattle, Boston, East Palo Alto, Indianapolis and Houston.

“Wipro is committed to playing a role in enhancing the access to books for children in the Seattle community,” said Anurag Behar, Chief Sustainability Officer, Wipro Limited. “Our Seattle-based employees are honored to help support students continue their educational journey throughout the summer months.”

Since 2015, Wipro and First Book have partnered together to distribute over 118,000 books throughout the U.S. and Canada, with a goal of distributing over 200,000 books to children in need, as part of their three-year partnership.

Book ownership and a print-rich environment are leading indicators of a child’s educational success, but for the 32 million children growing up in low-income families in the U.S. alone, books are scarce. A recent study found that in one low-income neighborhood, there was only one book for more than 800 children, whereas in moderate income neighborhoods, there are 13 books for every one child.1

First Book, which has operations in both the U.S. and Canada, works with formal and informal educators serving children in need, aged between 0-18 years in a wide range of settings – from schools, classrooms, summer school and parks and recreational programs, to health clinics, homeless shelters, faith-based programs, libraries, museums, summer food sites and more. The organization supports more than one in four of the 1.3 million classrooms and programs that are serving children in need in the U.S. alone.

“Access to books deeply affect a child’s ability to learn, and we are grateful that Wipro and its employees in Seattle and across the nation continue to support their local communities by spreading First Book’s mission of bringing the transformative power of books to children in need,” said Kyle Zimmer, president and CEO of First Book. “Through the support and dedication of Wipro employees, tens of thousands of children can enjoy the power of reading and unlock their future.”

Reference:
1. Susan Neuman, July 2016

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About First Book

First Book transforms the lives of children in need. Through a sustainable, market-driven model, First Book is creating equal access to quality education — making everything from brand-new, high-quality books and educational resources, to sports equipment, winter coats, snacks, and more – affordable to its member network of more than 325,000 educators who exclusively serve kids in need. Since 1992, First Book has distributed more than 160 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income families in more than 30 countries. First Book currently reaches an average of 3 million children every year and supports more than one in four of the estimated 1.3 million classrooms and programs serving children in need. With an additional 1,000 educators joining each week, First Book is the largest and fastest-growing network of educators in the United States exclusively serving kids in need.

Eligible educators, librarians, providers, and others serving children in need can sign up at firstbook.org/register. For more information, please visit firstbook.org or follow the latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

About Wipro Limited

Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO) is a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company. We harness the power of cognitive computing, hyper-automation, robotics, cloud, analytics and emerging technologies to help our clients adapt to the digital world and make them successful. A company recognized globally for its comprehensive portfolio of services, strong commitment to sustainability and good corporate citizenship, we have over 160,000 dedicated employees serving clients across six continents. Together, we discover ideas and connect the dots to build a better and a bold new future.

Media Contacts:
Melanie Boyer
First Book
mboyer@firstbook.org 
(o) 202-639-0144

Prathibha Das
Wipro Limited
prathibha.das@wipro.com

Brent Curry
Hill+Knowlton Strategies
brent.curry@hkstrategies.com
(o) 312-255-3086

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