Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Help make a difference - Vote for Imagination
Library to improve school readiness in the Aviva Community Fund competition to
make positive changes in our communities. http://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf13862#.UGuUZ6U_vD8.email
The
Imagination Library is a fantastic program.
For many years my sister Jeanne has been on the board of Kids Can Fly (http://www.kidscanfly.ca)
who supports the program. I volunteer at
various events to support the programs run by Kids Can Fly. One of the big events supporting Imagination
Library is the StoryBook Breakfast where I take pictures of the kids with their
favourite Storybook characters. If this idea wins, the funding through Aviva would
go a long way to expand the program.
There
are two ways kids can be part of the program - by sponsorship or by applying
(donation). Under the sponsorship program
packages are available to purchase which you can do as a general donation or to
a specific child. My parents gave a gift
for Alex to receive books under the program. He LOVES books and LOVES going to the mailbox
to check for his book each month. The
other method is where someone applies to Kids Can Fly for the child to be part
of the program. Right now, the demand
far exceeds the available funding. Ideally, Kids Can Fly wants to provide this
program to ALL kids under 5 years of age in the county of Brant. Yes, all kids no matter what. Wouldn't
this be awesome if we can make it happen.
Although
Brant may not be your home county it sure feels good to help any kids no matter
where they live. Let's hope as the
Imagination Library program continues to grow and expand it becomes available
in our own communities to benefit as many children as possible.
Below is
some more information regarding the program as posted on the Aviva Community
Fund website. I found some of the statistics
quite startling. But what amazes me the
most is the act of simply reading to or with a child can have such a huge
impact on their whole life. I sure
cherish those times where Alex grabs a book then shuffles in backwards to plop down
on my lap to read him a book. I love not
only the cuddling time (because this is usually the extent of his cuddling),
but also to see how much he learns and develops each time we read a book
together. It is truly inspiring to want
to help other children have the same experience. One of their mottos says it all : "We believe that if you change the BEGINNING of the story, you change the WHOLE story."
Please show the kids your support by voting for Imagination Library. It is very easy to do through the link at the top of the page - especially if you register through Facebook. You can vote once per day to a maximum of 15 votes per qualifying round. I put a reminder in my Outlook Calendar to go in each morning to register my vote. It only takes seconds to do but can have a lifelong impact on a child. This is the first qualifying round so please don't delay in getting your votes in towards the count.
To read
more about Imagination Library follow the link to the Kids Can Fly website : http://www.kidscanfly.ca/programs/imagination-library/
Link to Aviva Community Fund for Imagination Library
The Imagination Library is a program that puts free age-appropriate quality children’s books into the child’s home
via monthly mail delivery. Dolly Parton founded Imagination Library in 1996
with a goal of helping children secure strong reading and literacy skills as
well as nurturing their creativity and imaginations. As a child she did not
have the opportunity to have many books in her home and as an adult she became
very aware of how important this is. Early Literacy became her passion.
While it sounds simple, regular reading to young children is the single most important thing that adults can do to boost them towards success in education. It not only builds language and vocabulary but contributes to their overall development. The physical closeness of sitting on a parent’s lap, reading, talking, singing together helps stimulate brain development through sensory connections.
While it sounds simple, regular reading to young children is the single most important thing that adults can do to boost them towards success in education. It not only builds language and vocabulary but contributes to their overall development. The physical closeness of sitting on a parent’s lap, reading, talking, singing together helps stimulate brain development through sensory connections.
Research confirms that 25% of young
children are not ready when they start kindergarten and, in Brant, 27% do not
graduate high school. This is a frightening correlation. Research also shows
that for every dollar you invest in early learning, you save up to $17 in the
future on health care, additional resources in school and on the judicial
system. Some states even forecast prison spaces in the future on grade 3
reading scores. This proves how critical it is to have children ready to begin
kindergarten.
Ideally, we would like to have all 5600 children that are under 5 in our community on the Imagination Library. We currently have 580 children registered and have a waiting list of over 100 children. It costs $5 month per child to put them on the program. We believe that if you change the BEGINNING of the story, you change the WHOLE story.
Ideally, we would like to have all 5600 children that are under 5 in our community on the Imagination Library. We currently have 580 children registered and have a waiting list of over 100 children. It costs $5 month per child to put them on the program. We believe that if you change the BEGINNING of the story, you change the WHOLE story.
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