Larry Abrams and Jim Hardy
Recorded
June 15, 2021
Archived
June 14, 2021
39:18 minutes
0:00 / 0:00
Id:
ddv000885
Description
Friends and colleagues Larry Abrams (53) and Jim Hardy (44) discuss their nonprofits BookSmiles and Kensington Soccer Club. They consider the importance of serving young people as teachers and through their nonprofits, and reflect on the support they received along the way.Subject Log / Time Code
Larry Abrams (LA) explains how he began his nonprofit BookSmiles by collecting thousands of gently used children’s books. LA also remembers meeting Jim Hardy (JH) after reading about his soccer club in the newspaper.
JH talks about making personal connections with students. JH recalls trying to help a student join a soccer team and all the obstacles the student faced. JH then remembers a student of the school he worked at who was killed.
LA shares that he started BookSmiles after a student of his who had a baby said she wasn’t reading to her baby.
LA and JH talk about “equality of opportunity.”
JH and LA consider the difficulties of running a nonprofit and the support they received.
JH talks about where he teaches and about Kensington. JH discusses how the Kensington Soccer Club is a great after-school activity for teens and kids in the community.
LA recalls doing a poll in one of his classes to see who was read to as a young child and could see the impact that reading to young children has on academic success.
LA and JH share their hopes for the future of their organizations.
Participants
- Larry Abrams
- Jim Hardy