Dublin schools will take part in a childhood reading initiative from Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Children’s Books Ireland. The initiative will see more than 1,900 copies of Why the Moon Travels byOein DeBhairduin donated to children at 64 schools across Ireland and was marked by an event in Tralee attended by Minister for Education Norma Foley. In Dublin, Tallaght CNS, Scoil Ide Cailini, Scoil Aoife, Scoil Iosagain, Whitechurch National School, St Paul’s Primary, St Brigid’s Senior Girls, Scoil Lorcain and Scoil Mhuire.
The donation is part of Enterprise’s ROAD (Respect, Opportunity, Achievement and Diversity) Forward programme, which is a $55 million global initiative funded by Enterprise’s philanthropic arm, the Enterprise Holdings Foundation, to promote early childhood development, youth health and wellness, and career and college preparation. Through the ROAD Forward initiative, more than 1,900 sixth class pupils from across Ireland will receive their own copy of Why the Moon Travels, a collection of folk tales rooted in the oral tradition of the Irish Traveller community collected by Oein DeBhairduin and beautifully illustrated by Leanne McDonagh.
Speaking at the launch, Minister Foley said, ‘I am delighted to be launching the ROAD Forward initiative. “‘Why the Moon Travels’ which preserves and showcases the wonderful oral tradition of the Irish Traveller community. I hope all the pupils receiving a copy of this book enjoy it and share with their friends and families the unique tales it captures.”
Speaking of the initiative, Enterprise’s Managing Director for Ireland, Brendan Grieve, said: ‘Enterprise has a long-standing relationship with communities across Ireland and we continue to support this through initiatives such as ROAD Forward, which stands for Respect, Opportunity, Achievement and Diversity. These are values that are central to everything we do at Enterprise.’
Elaina Ryan, CEO, Children’s Books Ireland said, ‘What a gift the Enterprise ROAD Forward programme will be for almost 2,000 sixth class students all over Ireland. ‘Why The Moon Travels’ won the Judges’ Special Award and the Eilís Dillon Award at our 2021 KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards, and we are sure that it will captivate young readers’ attention as much as it did ours. With Enterprise’s support, we will ensure that children have access to excellent stories from diverse perspectives and support wonderful Irish-published work in the process.’
Enterprise Holdings first announced its ROAD Forward programme in November 2020 through its philanthropic arm, the Enterprise Holdings Foundation. The $55 million, global initiative focuses on promoting Respect, Opportunity, Achievement and Diversity (ROAD) for youth and families by addressing three areas in need of urgent attention: early childhood development, youth health and wellness, and career and college preparation.
