2025 AP Review Book Drive

At the end of the 2021-2022 school year, Almond Blossom Initiative officers and members collected books from classmates, teachers, and friends to be donated to a local high school in need. To begin, officers began to reach out to fellow peers in school, asking for gently used textbooks of any kind. In broadcasting this drive to not only fellow students in school, but also faculty, friends, and family, many donations soon began to pile in, varying from Advanced Placement level courses to standardized test prep books. Over the summer, these books were then sorted and distributed by officers and have now found a new purpose in the hands of students who will be able to benefit from them. 

After the month of May brings stressful last-minute preparation for the Advanced Placement exams, those AP subject and supplemental review textbooks are often left unused, either collecting dust on bookshelves or ending up in the trash. Either way, they are wasted. Each review book costs at least $20, and with many students taking several AP courses at a time, these costs add up and can cause serious financial strain.

The Almond Blossom Initiative began the AP Review Book Drive in 2022, collecting AP review books from students who no longer need them and donating them to Title I schools in the Orlando area. Over the summer, the collected books were sorted and distributed to students who would be able to benefit from them. 

This year, we donated 9 full boxes of books, including AP review books for American History, Calculus, and many more. We also donated many test preparation books for the PSAT and SAT. These books include practice problems, full-length practice exams, and in-depth explanations of the course material, greatly aiding students on the end-of-the-year AP examination. Depending on the score, these exams give students college credit and demonstrate their ability to excel in college-level classes. 

As an organization run by students who understand the stress of these exams and how much the review books help, the Almond Blossom Initiative is delighted to be able to support students in the greater Orlando area.