Ginger Young

Ginger Young is a social entrepreneur and children’s literacy advocate whose vision for the world is that every child grows up in a home that is brimming with books. She holds an unwavering commitment to supporting 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 to enjoy a lifelong love of reading and learning.

As the Chief Executive Officer of Book Harvest, Ginger oversees strategic planning, growth, and the organization’s plans for expansion, replication, 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 1.8 million books, building their home libraries and nourishing their vocabularies.

Ginger is a senior consultant for the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, a member of the National Advisory Council for First Book, and a founding member of the NC Public Education Task Force. She also serves on the  Board of Directors of Hill Learning Center. She received the 2022 Triangle Business Journal Women in Business Award. Recent publications include “What does college have to do with newborns? Everything, it turns out” (Perspective) with Carl Rist in Education NC, June 29, 2022; “Winning the future for our kids is within reach” (Perspective) in Education NC, April 18, 2021; “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 Education NC, August 21, 2019. 

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

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