What to do with your old Kindle?

 Did you get the new Kindle Paperwhite for Christmas? If so, you’re lucky! It’s a great device, and you’ll no doubt enjoy many hours of (waterproof) reading.

But you’ll also face the question of what to do with your old Kindle that works perfectly well and is currently collecting dust on your nightstand.

You could give it to a loved one — maybe someone who says they prefer physical books but secretly would love a Kindle. Or you could recycle it safely, or send it to back to Amazon for a bit of money.

Some of you, though, will think to donate your Kindle. And that’s what I encourage you to do! For the last seven years, I’ve been collecting used Kindles from generous people from across the country who care deeply about young people and their reading lives. The Kindle Classroom Project — which began in my classroom in San Francisco — now serves 2,000 students in the Bay Area.

When I receive a Kindle, I do a factory reset, then re-register the device to the KCP Library. This library is built from the ground up, based on student interests and requests. After processing the Kindles and ensuring that parental controls are set (only reading on these Kindles, no other apps!), I assign the Kindle to a KCP teacher, who gives it to a student.

This is where the best part happens. The young person gets to keep their Kindle 24 hours a day, including on weekends and school breaks. This includes Winter Break, which we’re on now, and summers. After all, reading should not be relegated just to the school building, or to a library. Students deserve to read what they want, when they want.

When you donate your Kindle, a student gets unlimited access to books for a total of three or four years, depending on whether they’re a middle school student or a high school student. There are no barriers to their reading, which means there are no barriers to their curiosity. Young people can follow their interests, learning more about themselves and the world.

If you’re interested in donating your Kindle, it takes just two steps: (1) filling out this form, and (2) shipping off your Kindle. Once you do the first step, I’ll send you a personal email about the second step. Thank you!

Also, it’s very possible that you know friends and family members in a similar situation. (Sometimes, I receive 3 Kindles at a time, all from the same household!) Feel free to let them know about my program. It’s also very easy to remember how to donate their Kindle: donatekindle.com is the website!