Ellie
Jenny
One of my new colleagues shared a video link with me this week. It is a video tour of Scholastic. There are many remarkable things about Scholastic. Probably the most important is that it is very much a mission-driven organization. Unlike any other publishing company I can think of, the culture and the business of Scholastic are deeply steeped in the mission of engendering a love of reading in kids.
The mission expresses itself in many ways. The walls are lined with art form the programs Scholastic sponsors which identify and support arts activities for children. The business itself is completely involved with getting books into kids’ hands and also helping children to read. Scholastic takes very seriously its role and has unparalleled connections to teachers and the classroom.
Scholastic Book Clubs were one of my favorite things when I was a kid. I loved getting the flyer each month and I ordered more books than anyone else. I actually still have a copy of BRIGHTY OF THE GRAND CANYON which has a Scholastic Book Clubs logo on it–and very yellow paper. I was always a huge Marguerite Henry fan.
Of course, working with children requires a sense of fun. That sense of fun expresses itself throughout the offices. The offices are filled with light and color and decorated with the many characters and brands which Scholastic has published over the years. It is a very cool environment.
Every morning I get my coffee in the Red Bar Cafe. I love using the internal staircase to go up and down to meetings. I always see people on the stairs and it is great fun as well as good exercise. I also really love meeting people for lunch by Clifford in the lobby. My office is in the old building. The two buildings really are seamlessly joined. It is a very unique working environment.
