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Read to Grow Awards First Book Grants In Hartford Area

4/5/2010

 At left, students at Kinsella Magnet School of Performing Arts in Hartford, where Read to Grow recently distributed pocket dictionaries sponsored by Dutch Point Credit Union, one of Hartford's First Book funders. The Kinsella School once held the distinction of having the lowest CMT scores (in the district that has the lowest scores). Today, after dramatic changes, their students are 69% proficient.

Read to Grow has approved six First Book applications that support a continuum of services to help build children’s literacy starting at birth. 

To be eligible for a First Book grant in Greater Hartford, organizations must provide some type of literacy services, serve children from low-income households, provide multiple book distributions at regular intervals to each child in the program, and be a nonprofit organization with 501(C)3 status or Title 1 school. Read to Grow guidelines for funding include programs serving:
☼  preschool (birth to five years of age)
☼  elementary school students
☼  middle school students

The First Book funds were awarded to the following Hartford sites:

Hartford Infant/Toddler Early Learning Center
The Center is a preK program serving African-American, Hispanic, Latino or Multiracial children and 100% of children come from low income households. Literacy is emphasized in the curriculum and books are used throughout the day to promote understanding of emotions, increase vocabulary and provide sensory experiences.

Hartford Area Child Care Collaborative
Members of the Collaborative will deliver workshops using Let’s Talk training strategies to increase oral language skills of young children and the adults who care for them. Books will be used as a tool for parents participating in how to read and talk to their children (preK) and will be sent home with parents.

Community Renewal Team
The Early Care and Education program for children six months to five years of age. More than 90% of children are of African American or Hispanic/Latino origin and 100% come from low-income households. This grant funds the purchase of bilingual books as a central part of the curriculum and then sent home with children to share with their parents and families.

Kinsella Elementary School
Serves a (95%) minority population 80% from low income households. Both structured and independent reading activities will utilize book resources.

West Middle Elementary School
Title 1 school with 91% of minority students and 100% come from low income households. Books will be utilized in the First Cup of Coffee meetings where parents are provided guidance about how to build better readers.

Covenant Preparatory School
Independent, tuition-free preparatory school for boys from underserved families. 88% are minorities and from low income households. Books will be integrated into the Language Arts Program and then sent home to become part of the student’s home library.

Many thanks to the First Book funders for the Greater Hartford area:
Dutch Point Credit Union
Connecticut Chapter Society of C.P.C.U.
Trinity Episcopal Church, Hartford
Episcopal Church Women - Trinity Church, Wethersfield

First Book provides new books to children in need, addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy – access to books. First Book is national in scope, distributing more than 60 million new books to children from low-income families in communities across the country.

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