What is the Imagination Library?

2. What is the Imagination Library? • Inspires a love of reading • Guarantees all children will have quality books in the home • A program about inspiration and imagination • Started in 1995 by Dolly Parton for the children in her hometown of Sevier County • In 2000 program went nationwide

3. How Does the Program Work? • The Dollywood Foundation partners with communities willing to bring this gift to the children of their area • Children ages birth-5 who are registered with the program receive a free, age appropriate hard cover book each month from birth until the age of 5 • Registration only requires the completion of a short one page registration form

4. The Library Books are: • New • Hard Cover • Age Appropriate • Mailed directly to the Child in his/her name First book = “Little Engine That Could” Last Book = “Look Out Kindergarten Here I Come” The first and last book includes a letter from Dolly!

5. Selection Process • A blue chip panel of experts select all of the titles for the Library • The Library Committee is comprised of educators, child development experts, and early childhood literacy professionals

6. Library Committee Marsha GebhardtProject Manager, Parents as Teachers National Center John MicklosChildren’s authorEditor and Chief of Reading TodayInternational Reading AssociationEdna Rogers National State Teacher of the Year – PresidentRetired Kindergarten TeacherMember of Dollywood Foundation Board of DirectorsDorothy StricklandSenior Research FellowNIEER (National Institute for Early Education Research)Rutgers University Grad School of EducationJinx WatsonAssociate Professor – Coordinator of Youth ServicesSchool of Information ServicesUniversity of Tennessee

7. Mailing Process • All books are mailed directly to the child in his/her name • The Dollywood Foundation uses its bulk mailing permit to mail all the Books • The local community must partner with a 501c3 in order for the DWF to mail the books

8. DWF Responsibilities • Select the Books • Mail the books to your community’s children • Invoice the community for books ordered • Provide technical assistance as needed

9. Benefits • Promotes a love of reading among children • Promotes having every child’s reading ability at maximum level when they start Kindergarten • Promotes parents reading to their children from birth, which has been shown to greatly improve a child’s future reading ability • Promotes community bonding • Promotes family bonding

10. Making a Difference in Clinton CountyHelp Support a ChildBe our partner in support of theCCRESA Imagination Library

11. Learning begins at birth

12. Children learn through play…

13. …through interactions with others…

14. …through interactions with the world around them…

15. Reading to infants, toddlers, and pre-school age children helps build their vocabulary and prepare them for school.

16. Research shows that a language rich environment has a critical impact on the rapid development of a child’s brain.

17. Our goal is to help support the literacy development of every child living in the Clinton Co. RESA service area by providing a book per month from birth to age five

18. $30.00! – that’s all it costs to sponsor 1 child for a year

19. Be Our Partner! Sponsor a Child Today The impact will last a lifetime!

20. Sponsor a child today!Send your tax deductible contribution to:Clinton County RESA Imagination Library1013 S. U.S. 27, Suite ASt. Johns, MI 48879

21. For More Information contact: Karen Black, Ken Lounds or Cindy Shinsky at CCRESA: 989-224-6831 Your support is greatly appreciated.