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Preface Donates Thousands of Dollars in Multilingual Books, Healthcare Materials to TN Partners


Preface donated a library of over 200 multilingual books, alongside thousands of dollars in healthcare materials, to its Chattanooga, TN partners earlier this month. (L-R) Preface Founder & Executive Director Jonathan "JT" Wu, McCallie Liaison and Head of World Languages Frank "Paco" Watkins, East Lake Elementary Principal Joyce Lancaster, and Preface Chief Educational Advisor Sumner McCallie, alongside several East Lake Preface students.

Preface Founder & Executive Director Jonathan "JT" Wu speaks to reporters about the Preface model while visiting partner schools in Chattanooga, TN.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Preface presented its school partners at East Lake Elementary School with special Legacy Gifts of sanitizers, disinfectant gels, and bilingual books to support their in-house library and virtual learners. These gifts were made in honor of Preface’s 2020 Chattanooga Legacy Sponsors – Shannon & Greg Anderson, Sumner & Katie McCallie, and Frank “Paco” Watkins.

CHATTANOOGA, TN. – Preface further cemented its innovative early childhood literacy relationships with its partnership schools earlier this year by donating three distinct Legacy Gifts of bilingual books, alongside healthcare materiel, to further support East Lake Elementary School and the next generation in the Chattanooga community.


Established in 2020, the Preface Legacy Gift program serves as a customized nexus of both public interests and private funds, providing tailored selections of bilingual books to serve the unique communities within Preface partner schools. In conjunction with administrators and community leaders, each Legacy Gift is customized to meet the diverse linguistic needs of that school’s population – with an emphasis on bilingual publications that encourage English language acclimation alongside native language retention.


The Shannon & Greg Anderson Legacy Gift, Sumner & Katie McCallie Legacy Gift, and Frank “Paco” Watkins Legacy Gift were presented by Preface leadership to East Lake Elementary School Principal Joyce Lancaster in a special ceremony earlier this month. These gifts of specially curated dual-language literature selections and all-important sanitizing products collectively represent a multi-thousand-dollar donation of resources designed to bolster Preface’s Chattanooga partner schools and their communities.


“Preface has an extraordinary vision for tackling an issue critical to the success of young people by creatively harnessing existing resources in communities across America,” said 2020 Legacy Gift Sponsor Shannon Anderson. “I’m excited to support Preface because they have a direct impact on children’s lives, and it makes my heart full to know that my donation will benefit underserved youngsters who just need a little extra support to be front and center on the path to success for a lifetime!”


“Having spent some incredible years up here on the Ridge myself, Chattanooga has always had a special place in my heart,” added Jonathan “JT” Wu, Founder & Executive Director of Preface. “I couldn’t be more thrilled to be back here honoring the incredible generosity of the Andersons and the McCallies – longtime leaders here in Chattanooga with a heart for the next generation. At the same time, when the opportunity arose to also celebrate all that Paco Watkins has done during his 20+ year tenure as the Head of World Languages at McCallie, we knew we couldn’t pass this up! Thanks to our generous supporters, Preface is able to provide communities with immediate infusions of resources, like these Legacy Gifts, to help them set their students up for lasting success – and I’m thrilled to see how our partners in Tennessee will continue to be innovative models for communities across our nation.”


“Preface’s founder, JT Wu, has attracted bright and talented people to the team; and their “get it done” attitude is impressive and refreshing,” added Anderson. “I was a resident in the Chattanooga area for a decade, and I like knowing that my donation didn’t go into a black hole. I’m thrilled that kids in Chattanooga now have Preface to help them succeed with language and reading. Thank you, Preface!”


A link to full coverage by CBS Channel 12 (WDEF) is available here.


Additional coverage courtesy of The Chattanoogan and The McCallie School.


About Preface:

Founded in 2019, Preface is a public-private philanthropic initiative dedicated to fostering early childhood literacy… with a multilingual twist! Partnering with educators and community leaders, Preface empowers local high schoolers to give back to their communities and bridge opportunity gaps by fostering literacy among young emerging bilingual students. A federally recognized 501(c)(3) organization, Preface is proudly headquartered in Gwinnett County, Georgia and serves communities across America. Learn more at www.PrefaceProject.org.


For further inquiries, contact:


Jonathan “JT” Wu

Founder & Executive Director


Devon Naftzger

Chief Marketing Officer


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