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Benjamin Olshin
Grade 11
Hometown: Portland, Oregon
School: Catlin Gabel School, Portland, Oregon
Program: Babies With Books
Benjamin Olshin is a self-confessed bookworm. He has also grown up hearing powerful stories about families’ challenges and heartbreaks during hospitalizations in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) from his neonatologist mother. He became determined to combine his passion for books with his desire to help NICU families. Benjamin founded Babies With Books (BWB), a youth-led program, after learning that reading is especially important for NICU babies, who are at increased risk of poor development due to medical complications, family separation and socioeconomic stressors. “Three years ago, I learned reading is critical for infant brain growth. However, I did not yet understand just how healing reading can be for NICU families. I have witnessed the heartwarming connection between tiny infants and loving parents as they whisper bedtime stories,” said Benjamin.
BWB focuses on early literacy in the NICU through (1) admit reading packets, (2) teen-led book rounds, (3) a family reading library, and (4) literacy promotion events. Teen volunteers meet with NICU families to discuss how and why to read with their babies and provide them a choice of books in eighteen languages. BWB has served more than 700 families, with the number of families reading to their infants increasing from 40% to 100% after they received their BWB books.
Benjamin expects to use his POCA grant for a multi-site read-a-thon encouraging family reading, publishing of the children’s book he is writing, and expanding BWB to more hospitals.
To learn more about Babies With Books, visit www.babieswithbooks.org
