The Imagination Library of Grant County (ILGC) has applied for A Community Thrives (ACT) grant to help expand the early literacy program throughout New Mexico. ACT is part of the USA Today network. If awarded, "Just Imagine!" will help create a culture of literacy and learning in New Mexico by preparing children, ages 0-5, for school success through access to books and time spent reading with an engaged parent. ILGC proposes to use funds for program and operating expenses associated with statewide expansion, including a portion of book costs, educational materials, training and travel.
ACT Voting begins April 12, 2017 and ends May 12, 2017. Vote for "Just Imagine" by visiting the A Community Thrives (ACT) website daily during the Voting Period: http://act.usatoday.com/submit-an-idea/#/gallery/57620042/. Judges will determine the top three applications in each category. The first place application in each category will receive one $100,000 grant. The second and third place applications will receive one $50,000 grant each.
Founded in 2010, ILGC is an affiliate of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Their mission is to promote reading readiness and language proficiency for preschool children by delivering books to their homes monthly. ILGC is leading efforts to make The Imagination Library a statewide program. ILGC is already the fiscal sponsor for four affiliates, and efforts are underway to begin affiliates in five other counties. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 141,000 children under age 5 lived in New Mexico in 2015. ILGC's target population for 2017 expansion is 7,500, or roughly 5%, of NM preschool children. When the project is complete, ILGC hopes to incrementally add affiliates until they meet their goal of registering 60% of New Mexico preschool children within 5 years.
New Mexico ranks last in education according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation Kid's Count Report. Reading to children in their earliest years has been proven as a cost effective strategy for cognitive development and reading proficiency, and early education helps prevent school failure and drop out, which often precipitate costly problems such as addiction and legal problems. Owning books and reading aloud also leads to better relationships, expanded vocabulary, and school readiness.
Findings from ILGC's longitudinal study show 80% of children who received Imagination Library books are reading at or above grade level compared to 55% of those who did not. Dr. Ann Harvey, Reading Education Professor at Western New Mexico University, has compiled data for the past three years and has concluded that children who were exposed to books and reading with a parent were better prepared for reading in Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades. Dr. Harvey's subjects and New Mexico's first Imagination Library participants will be graduating high school in 10 years. As more of the state's children own books from birth, ILGC expects to see higher graduation rates and improved outcomes.
ILGC has secured $13,000 in state expansion grants from the Frederick H. Leonhardt Foundation and Brindle Foundation that will fund a fourth year of the longitudinal study and provide for some operating expenses. A Community Thrives award would supplement the "Just Imagine!" program.