Let’s hear a big RORKC thank you to Kauffman Scholars’ Intern Ter’Ranay Teague. She organized book drives at the Kauffman Foundation, Hoefer Wysocki Architecture, Steel’s Used Books, and Prospero’s Books collecting 573 books for our children and families!
In addition to providing books at our partner clinics, RORKC handed out over 13,000 new books to kids throughout the metro this summer as part of the Childrens’ Reading Foundation’s READ UP! program, funded though a U.S. Department of Education Innovative Approaches to Literacy grant. Books and brochures reminding students and parents to read together during summer break were delivered at Health Partnership Clinic, Growing Futures Early Education Center, Freedom School, and to the 1,200 children who attended Mayor James’ summer reading celebration at the Sprint Center.
Reach Out and Read national recently announced the launch of the Prescription for Success Toolkit, to support collaborations between libraries, museums, and ROR program sites – natural partners that have a collective impact on the lives of young children.
Funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, this pilot project aims to help families benefit from museum and library services that foster literacy development in young children. As a national nonprofit organization comprised of doctors, who promote early childhood literacy, Reach Out and Read has deep and broad relationships within the medical community. Prescription for Success has leveraged these connections to explore new ways doctors and their staffs can collaborate with museums and libraries.
Encouraging families to use libraries and museums extends the impact of the ROR program, giving them opportunities to share books and spend time enjoying library and museum activities. Likewise, library and museum staff reinforce our message that engaging with young children through reading and playing together helps foster healthy brain development. Read more
Tickets are on sale now for Books On Tap, Reach Out and Read Kansas City’s party with a purpose for young professionals supporting children’s literacy and kindergarten readiness.
For just $25 in advance ($35 at the door), your ticket includes:
* an assortment of appetizers,
* three drink coupons,
* one raffle ticket,
* off-street parking, and
* live music by Them Pick-less Fools.
By attending Books On Tap, you are providing enough funds to purchase 5 books for a child served by our program.
Special thanks to our event sponsors, Tingle Flooring and Henderson Engineers, Inc. Follow our event page on Facebook for updates on vendors, entertainment, and sponsors.
We are excited to announce the award of $25,000 from the Hall Family Foundation to fund for two years the purchase and distribution of a new book at the one month well child checkup.
Providers at our 51 partner clinics see up to 7000 children between birth and 4-months-old each year. Adding a new book at one month provides consistency in the prescriptive message and delivery of our program and extends the library of new books provided by RORKC to a total of 15.
The book selected to launch this program, Sleep Baby Safe and Snug, was created by Charlie’s Kids Foundation for Safe Sleep to reinforce the message of safe sleep habits to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. It is available in both Spanish and English.
