Book Aid International: Could you start by telling us a little bit about yourself and the work you do?

Jessica: I am a Senior Marketing Manager at Gale, part of Cengage Group. In this role I work with a variety of library resources including digital historical archives, and I love the opportunity to nourish my interest in history. And from the old to the modern – it’s also great to be working in the world of EdTech, and to see first-hand the exciting developments being made in this area which have the potential to enormously benefit students and researchers around the world. 

Dan: I am a Senior Development Editor at National Geographic Learning, also part of the Cengage Group. My job is to create, develop and produce English Language Teaching (ELT) materials for students learning English across the world. These materials are primarily print books, but we also work on electronic versions, audio and video content, and interactive digital resources for students and teachers. The ELT world is quite eclectic in its approaches to education and it’s enjoyable to consider all the different ways our materials are used to teach students from pre-primary children to adults. 

Book Aid International: What drew you to work in publishing? 

Jessica: Undoubtedly my love of reading – as is the case for so many of us working in publishing! On top of this, I’ve always enjoyed and felt drawn to education. After landing at Gale, I’ve remained grateful for the continued connection it has given me with the world of Higher Education, and the insight into all the fascinating ideas being discussed and researched by scholars around the world. 

Dan: I have always worked in ELT and education and the reason I got into publishing was to be able to create materials that teachers could use in their classrooms and students could learn from. In my previous roles in education, I saw the range of quality in ELT teaching materials, and I enjoy knowing that I have done my part in ensuring that the materials we produce will inspire students to learn and help teachers to support the education of their students.

Book Aid International: Why did you want to get involved with Cengage’s support for a book charity like Book Aid International? 

Jessica: I wanted to support a book charity so that as many people as possible can enjoy the simple pleasure of reading – of exploring other worlds and perspectives through books. And because I’m aware of the opportunities that reading and education can unlock. At the same time, I’m aware that, working for a publisher, I can hopefully spot and enable opportunities for the donation of large numbers of brand-new books, thereby providing more assistance and support to the charity. 

Dan: Our team wanted to support a book charity like Book Aid International because we have all seen first-hand how important it can be for students to learn English. Students who are able to express their ideas in English and understand the English they see and hear in the world around them have a unique opportunity to study and work with others. We wanted to donate our books and provide this opportunity for as many English learners as possible. 

Book Aid International: Can you tell us about the donation you are currently working on and why you chose to donate those books? 

Jessica:  This donation of 1,800 books includes wonderfully colourful and engaging National Geographic Learning titles that support and enable users to learn English, from books suitable for very young children, up to adult learners. 

Dan: We chose these books because they represent a wide range of the materials we work on. There are books for pre-primary children to adult learners. These books teach English indirectly through the love of stories and beautiful photography as well as directly through the presentation and practice of the English language. We included readers, graphic novels, big books that can be read collectively by a group of children, textbooks for classes and business English material. All of the material is designed to inspire students to find out more about the world and about the language. We hope that by having access to these materials, a large range of people will be able to benefit by learning to speak and understand English. 

Book Aid International: What would you say to someone who is considering setting up or getting involved in a charity partnership?  

Jessica: Go for it! If you see an opportunity to make a difference – to help people facing challenges that you could, in some way, help, absolutely pursue it. You’ll never regret having made a positive impact on the lives of others. 

Dan: It’s all too easy to believe that a single action does not have a large impact, but one of the greatest characteristics of books is that they often move from person to person, from class to class. Donating books, especially educational books, is likely to help group after group after group of people. So do it!   

We’d like to say a big thank you Jessica, Dan and their colleagues at Cengage Group for their continued support. The books they donate are changing lives around the world.

Photos (c) Cengage Group

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