Start Lighthouse

Our Literacy Hub at PS 214 was filled with joy as we welcomed author Jaylene Clark Owens for a special visit with students. In partnership with our friends at The Bronx is Reading, we had the opportunity to host Jaylene in the hub to share A Black Girl and Her Braids with our students.

Students danced, sang, laughed, and celebrated themselves as the story unfolded. The room felt alive with pride and excitement as students connected with the message and with each other.

It was a powerful reminder of how meaningful it is when children encounter stories that affirm who they are and create space for them to show up fully as themselves. Each student also received a signed copy of the book to take home and add to their personal library, extending the joy of the visit far beyond the Literacy Hub.

We were very grateful to welcome Angie Kang, author and illustrator of Our Lake, to our Literacy Hub at PS 161. Through a hopeful and joyous recounting of her personal story and connection to the arts, Angie brought excitement and passion to her visit, inspiring students to create their own drawings using simple figures and shapes. 

Her positive energy and powerful voice opened a door into the creative world, and students concluded the day with a newfound excitement for their own artistic passions. 

Each student received a signed copy of Our Lake to take home for their home library. 

Many thanks, Angie!

At our Literacy Hubs, book shopping days are always something special.

At PS 214, the entire space came alive as our students flipped through pages, called friends over to share a discovery, and carefully considered which books they wanted to take home. The room filled with conversation, recommendations, and that focused excitement that comes when a child finds a story that feels just right.

There is something incredibly powerful about watching children choose brand new books that belong to them. Books they can take home, place on their own shelves, and return to again and again. Over the course of the academic year, students walk away with an entire curated home library built book by book, choice by choice.

This is what access looks like. This is what ownership feels like. And this is why we build Literacy Hubs.

We had the incredible joy of hosting Dav Pilkey at , where students from both PS 161 and P643X gathered to celebrate the release of Dog Man: Big Jim Believes. Dav spent time speaking with our students about persistence, imagination, creativity, and the resilience it takes to grow into the person you want to become. He shared stories from his own childhood with so much warmth and honesty, and our students were completely engaged from the very first moment.

It was powerful to see how deeply they connected with his message and how meaningful it was for them to hear directly from an author whose books they know and love. Every child received a signed copy of his newest book which made the experience even more special and created a moment they will remember for a long time.

We are deeply grateful to Lizette and the entire team at Scholastic for helping make this visit a reality for our students in the Bronx. Your steadfast support continues to open doors, expand access, and create opportunities that truly matter for our young readers.

As we mark five years of Start Lighthouse, we are celebrating five extraordinary honorees who have helped us bring our mission to life.

⚪️ Alyssa Reynoso Morris is a Bronx author and changemaker who inspires young readers to see their stories reflected in books.

⚪️ Akeem Weston is a muralist and artist whose vibrant work has transformed our Literacy Hubs into joyful, imaginative spaces.

⚪️ Angela Jones is a visionary principal and tireless partner ensuring every child has access to books and belonging.

⚪️ Sherwood Guernsey is a devoted advocate and friend who has championed Start Lighthouse’s growth from the very beginning.

⚪️ Mukund Padmanabhan is a philanthropist and education advocate who has helped us expand our reach and deepen our impact.

Each of them embodies the heart of Start Lighthouse, rooted in community, compassion, and the belief that literacy changes everything.

Join us on October 21 at iHeartMedia HQ as we celebrate five years of literacy, love, and community.
Tickets are in the bio.

Our Literary Adventures program brings mobile literacy experiences to schools across New York City, creating joyful opportunities for students to connect with books, authors, and one another.

We had the honor of welcoming author and illustrator Shauna Grant to PS 23 in Brooklyn. Through her interactive workshops, she inspired students to tap into their creativity, share their voices, and see themselves reflected in the stories they read. Every child went home with a signed copy of her book to add to their home library and continue their reading journey.

We are deeply grateful to for their continued support in helping us make experiences like this possible and for championing literacy and representation for all students.

At our PS/MS 5 Literacy Hub, students read Harlem Grown by Tony Hillery and learned how one person’s vision turned an abandoned lot into a thriving garden. Ines, who leads our Literacy Hub at PS/MS 5, guided students as they reflected on what it means to create change within their own community and wrote letters to Mr. Hillery sharing their dreams for gardens across the Bronx.

Soon after, those dreams took root. Tony Hillery visited the Literacy Hub to meet the students and share his story. Then, Ines brought them to visit one of Harlem Grown’s farms, where they saw firsthand what happens when a seed of an idea grows into something that nourishes an entire neighborhood.

Through this experience, students discovered that reading can spark action, and that the power of a story can inspire real change.

This week, we were so thrilled to partner with our friends at The Bronx is Reading to welcome award-winning author Mayra Cuevas to our Literacy Hub at PS 214.

Mayra shared her journey as a writer and brought her book My Abuela is a Bruja to life with a read aloud. Students asked thoughtful questions and then participated in a paired writing activity where they created their own characters, conflicts, and resolutions.

We are grateful to Mayra for sharing her time and talent, and to The Bronx is Reading for making this visit possible. Experiences like this give our students the chance to see themselves as readers, writers, and creators.

We took our students at PS/MS 5 to visit our incredible partner Macmillan Publishers, and it was such an inspiring day. Students went behind the scenes to see how books are made, discovered the many careers in publishing, and each took home a new favorite book to continue their love of reading.

This visit felt full circle. In 2022, Macmillan believed in us with an $84,000 investment that shaped the trajectory of Start Lighthouse. Since then, we have welcomed their authors into our Literacy Hubs, partnered with their team, and shared their titles with thousands of Bronx students.

We are so grateful for this partnership and the inspiration it continues to bring to our students.

At our upcoming 5-Year Anniversary Celebration, Start Lighthouse is honored to recognize Assemblymember Amanda Septimo for her unwavering belief in the power of literacy to transform lives in the Bronx.

A lifelong Bronx resident, Assemblymember Septimo has dedicated her career to ensuring children and families have access to the opportunities and resources they need to thrive. From her early days tutoring and mentoring local youth, to her leadership as District Director and now as a State Assemblymember, she has been a tireless champion for educational equity and a steadfast supporter of literacy.

We are so proud to celebrate her leadership and partnership at this milestone event. Join us as we mark 5 years of advancing literacy in the Bronx. Tickets are available through the link in bio.

We’re partnering with Baby Cobra Yoga in the East Village for a special fundraiser class in support of Start Lighthouse!

Every ticket purchased directly supports the opening of our next Literacy Hub, where students will have access to free books, culturally responsive programming, and a welcoming space to grow as readers and leaders. 

Join us for an afternoon of movement, mindfulness, and community—all while helping us bring the joy of reading to even more children across NYC. 

🗓 September 14th, 4-6 pm
📍 Baby Cobra Yoga, East Village (237 1st Ave 4th Floor, New York NY, 10003)
🎟 Tickets: $35 (link in bio)