QM Gives Back

QM values community and education. The QM Gives Back program began in 2011 in an effort to support education initiatives in cities that host QM Conferences. It offers opportunities to bring the power of the QM Community to organizations invested in educating under-served populations.

Annual Scholastic Book Fairs at the QM Connect Conference

The Scholastic Book Fair seeks to share the joy of reading with schools and learners. It is held to honor the contributions and memory of Anne Smedinghoff — a Johns Hopkins University alumna and U.S. State Department Diplomat from River Forest, Illinois — who died in 2013 while delivering textbooks to children in Afghanistan. The desire to honor Anne's passion for education and improving others' lives, along with Scholastic's commitment to giving the gift of reading to learners everywhere, has led to a wonderful partnership that provides books and book sale proceeds to a school in the conference host community.

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Starting in 2011, QM began collecting donations in the form of supplies and funds dedicated to educational resources. Each year since 2014, QM has partnered with Scholastic Books to host a Book Fair with the bulk of the proceeds and all donated books going to a school in the area of city where the QM Annual Conference (QM Connect) is held. The generosity of QM Members and staff is reflected in the highlights below:

2023: Bloomington, Minnesota
2022: Tucson, Arizona
2019: Grapevine, Texas
2018: St. Louis, Missouri
2017: Fort Worth, Texas
  • 355 books/$4350 in sales benefiting Van Zandt-Guinn Elementary #135
  • Donation of a monitor from SoftChalk
2016: Portland, Oregon
  • 320 books/$3700 in sales benefiting William Walker Elementary School
2015: San Antonio, Texas
  • 275 books/$6100 in sales benefiting Dorie Miller Elementary
2014: Baltimore, Maryland
  • 250 books/$4000 in sales benefiting North Bend Elementary/Middle School
2013: Nashville, Tennessee
  • $2500 in supplies raised for Pencil Foundation
2012: Tuscon, Arizona
  • $1500 raised for Tucson Unified School District
2011: Baltimore, Maryland 
  • $1000 raised for a local area school
 
 
 
 
 

How You Can Help

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Look for the Scholastic Book Fair booth at the QM Connect Conference.
Purchase books at the kiosk to donate to the school or for yourself.

Proceeds from book fair sales will benefit a local-area school of the conference host city and will be used to purchase books and other resources. Book sales provide credits for the school to purchase additional items from Scholastic.

Grant Elementary (17991) in Melrose Park, Illinois will receive proceeds from the QM Connect 2024 Book Fair.

Thank you for helping learners discover the joy and importance of reading.