she/her

Ginger Young is a social entrepreneur and children’s literacy advocate whose vision is that every child grows up in a home that is brimming with books and falls asleep each night enjoying a bedtime story with a loving caregiver. She holds an unwavering commitment to support all parents in their role as their child’s first teacher and most heartfelt advocate. And she is devoted to ensuring that every child is able to start school kindergarten-ready, and enjoys a lifelong love of reading and learning.

As Book Harvest's Chief Executive Officer, Ginger oversees strategic planning, growth, and the organization’s plans for expansion, scaled impact, and advocacy. She founded Book Harvest in 2011 to put book ownership and home libraries within reach of every child, starting at birth, and to provide literacy support for parents. Under Ginger’s leadership, the organization has grown exponentially in its scope and reach, and children have harvested more than two million new and gently used books to take home and keep forever, building their home libraries and nourishing their vocabularies and imaginations.

Ginger is a graduate of Harvard College and received her Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

Ginger's publications include:
•"One question every school superintendent should be asking right now" (Perspective), in EducationNC, January 29, 2024 (https://www.ednc.org/perspective-one-question-every-school-superintendent-should-be-asking-right-now/)

•"Children’s Savings Accounts Keep Education Aspirations High for Kids of Color" (Opinion), in The 74, September 6, 2023 (https://www.the74million.org/article/childrens-savings-accounts-keep-education-aspirations-high-for-kids-of-color/)

•"Literacy for life: It starts at birth" (Perspective), in EducationNC, April 24, 2023: (https://www.ednc.org/perspective-literacy-for-life-it-starts-at-birth/)

•"What does college have to do with newborns? Everything, it turns out" (Perspective), with Carl Rist in Education NC, June 29, 2022 (https://www.ednc.org/perspective-what-does-college-have-to-do-with-newborns-everything-it-turns-out/)

•“Winning the future for our kids is within reach” (Perspective), in Education NC, April 18, 2021 (https://www.ednc.org/perspective-winning-the-future-for-our-kids-is-within-reach-early-education/)

•“To Lift Children’s Scores and Prospects, Teaching Must Start Earlier.” (Op-ed), in Raleigh News & Observer, November 25, 2019

•“Want better health outcomes for kids? The American Academy of Pediatrics says combat racism with diverse books.” (Perspective), with Callee Boulware in EducationNC, August 21, 2019 (https://www.ednc.org/perspective-want-better-health-outcomes-for-kids-the-american-academy-of-pediatrics-says-combat-racism-with-diverse-books/)

•“NC’s Read to Achieve Program Failed. Let’s Turn the Page.” (Op-ed), in Raleigh News & Observer, January 12, 2019 (https://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/op-ed/article224308445.html)