FLY - Facilitating Learning for Youth, Inc.

What a fun time we had yesterday at the Back to School fair in Ocoee! Yes, it was hot, but we gave away tons of books - we estimate about 1700 - that kids picked out for themselves.

Thanks so much to Randy, Karla and Makela for volunteering and spending all day with me - hauling boxes, setting up, sorting books, maintaining the tables, helping the kids, and breaking everything down afterward - all with enthusiasm and a big smile!

Here are a few pics-

Can you believe that it is less than a month before school starts? We are celebrating by having some Free Book Pick Up dates for Title I school teachers. Would you like to start the year right by sending books home with your students? Sign up for slot on July 21, 22, 27 or 28 to pick up new books and used books in very good condition for you class. You can pick them up at our office in downtown Winter Park, and can claim a slot every month.

If you are a regular, you will want to bookmark the new sign up sheet -

Free Book Pick Up for Title I School Teachers Title I school teachers can pick up free books at our office in downtown Winter Park, FL at the times on the sign up sheet! All you need to do is sign up for a slot, and you can pick up new books as well as used books in good condition for your students. New books are limited by the number of studen...

📚🍎 Title I Teachers — It’s Time to Stock Your Shelves! 🍎📚

Join us during one of our upcoming pickup dates to browse and collect free books for your classroom through FLY’s teacher book program and the Magpie Book Bin!

✨ Teacher Rewards Reminder:
📖 Earn 1 point for every 10 used books you pick up.
🪶 Pick up books through the Magpie Book Bin during these designated times and earn 1 additional bonus point on top of your book pickup points!
🎁 Points can be redeemed for teacher merchandise and other rewards.

Whether you’re searching for classroom library books, independent reading options, or just want to see what treasures are available, we’d love to see you there!

🔗 Registration is required. Sign up using the link in our bio.

BookDonation TeacherSupport LiteracyMatters ReadingIsFundamental ElementaryEducation MiddleSchoolTeachers HighSchoolTeachers TeacherLife FloridaTeachers CentralFloridaTeachers MagpieBookBin BooksForKids LiteracyForAll NonprofitOrganization EducationMatters

📚🎒 Back-to-school season is almost here! 🎒📚

FLY is excited to be part of the 6th Annual Back to School Bash on July 18th from 11 AM–2 PM at the Jim Beech Recreation Center in Ocoee! Stop by our table where we’ll be giving away free books for students to help inspire a love of reading as the new school year begins.

This free community event will also feature backpack and school supply giveaways, free school and sports physicals, food, activities, live entertainment, and more.

📍 Jim Beech Recreation Center, Ocoee
📅 July 18, 2026 | 11 AM–2 PM

Register today: ⁠Back to School Bash Registration

We can’t wait to see you there and help students start the school year with great books in hand! 💙📖 CommunityStrong

📚✨ Did you know that every book you receive through the Magpie Book Bin earns you points? It’s one more reason to bring fresh stories into your classroom!

Teachers who complete the Magpie Book Bin application can receive a curated selection of gently used books chosen by our team and ready for pickup. Whether you’re building your classroom library or looking for new titles to engage your students, we’re here to help.

Apply through the link in our bio and let us do the book hunting for you! 📖🍎

LiteracyMatters TeacherResources

I have told several of my teachers about how I ended up with thousands of old Journeys common core books for $3 (total for all of the books) when OCPS bought new ones. There were so many that I could not pick them all up and did not have room to store them. Because I couldn't take them all from the auction house, I ended up paying $35 for them to dispose of the rest. That hurt.

I also got some tables, shelves, and those metal cabinets that we had painted there.

OPCS has lots of things at auction now including learning tools (manipulatives, etc.), musical instruments, etc., chairs, refrigerators, tools, laminators, furniture, and other stuff.

This is where you can look at it and bid if you want to - https://www.ggauctionsonline.net/Public

I can tell you from experience that you have to go to Zellwood to pick up the items, and you have to bring cash, a cashier's check with a bank letter, or do a wire transfer to pay for the items. No credit cards.

Right now the bids on the learning tools are very low - there is one that no one has bid on- but they can bid up quickly if someone else has a higher maximum.

There are also a bunch of other agencies with stuff on there, so if you have every wanted a fire truck, go for it!

George Gideon Auctioneers

Look at all of the books! Thanks to First United Methodist Church of Winter Park for their VBS initiative to donate books to FLY. These generous children gave hundreds of books so other children would have books at home to read!

Don’t let FLY fall off your calendar. At FLY, we know that this is a busy season for many. Between camps, vacations, and family time, it can be hard to keep track of events. Because of this, FLY is officially releasing a Google Calendar. Simply click on the link below, select “add to Google calendar” and receive live updates of all FLY events, complete with links to register in the event description. Here’s to staying organized this summer season. https://www.flyintoabook.org/events

June is Audio Book Appreciation Month, and while FLY might deal with physical books, we are still huge fans of audio books! Audio books are a great way to entertain and to help grow a child’s imagination, all without the use of a screen. Audio books also work well with the addition of physical books and help children to hear the pronunciation of a word when reading. While there are paid services such as audible, there are free platforms such as YouTube, Spotify, and storyline online that provide videos of books for free (and, of course, the staff at FLY would be more than happy to suggest their own platform preferences when you stop by one of our pick up days). What are you listening to? Leave it in the comments below! Happy reading!