Read To Grow Inc

TO PROMOTE LANGUAGE SKILLS AND LITERACY FOR CHILDREN, BEGINNING AT BIRTH, AND TO SUPPORT PARENTS AS THEIR BABIES' FIRST TEACHERS.

READ TO GROW, INC. (THE ORGANIZATION") OPERATES THROUGHOUT CONNECTICUT AND HAS GIVEN MORE THAN 2.6 MILLION CHILDREN'S BOOKS IN ITS 23 YEARS OF EDUCATING PARENTS AND CHILDCARE PROVIDERS - THROUGH WORKSHOPS AND LITERACY PACKETS - ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPING CHILDREN'S LANGUAGE SKILLS AND LITERACY. EACH YEAR THE ORGANIZATION DISTRIBUTES APPROXIMATELY 100,000 BOOKS THROUGH FOUR PROGRAMS: THE FLAGSHIP PROGRAM BOOKS FOR BABIES, THE BOOKS FOR KIDS PROGRAM, THE EARLY STEPS TO SCHOOL SUCCESS PROGRAM AND THE NEWEST PROGRAM, THE READ TO GROW BOOKMOBILE. ALONG WITH STAFF, THE ORGANIZATION RELIES ON A CORPS OF REGULAR VOLUNTEERS WHO WORK IN THE OFFICE/WAREHOUSE AND VISIT FAMILIES AT PARTNER HOSPITALS. BOOKS FOR BABIES THIS PROGRAM OPERATES THREE DISTINCT PROJECTS: PRENATAL PROJECT, THE NEWBORN PROJECT AND THE NICU PROJECT. THE PRENATAL PROJECT FOCUSES ON DISTRIBUTING FREE CHILDREN'S BOOKS AND INFORMATION ON BRAIN DEVELOPMENT AND LITERACY TO EXPECTING FAMILIES RECEIVING PRENATAL CARE AT COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS. THE NEWBORN PROJECT OPERATES IN 14 PARTNER HOSPITALS, GIVING ALL FAMILIES WITH NEWBORNS LITERACY PACKETS THAT INCLUDE BOOKS FOR THEIR BABIES AND PARENTAL GUIDES ON HOW TO SUPPORT INFANTS' LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT. IN 50% OF THE PARTNER HOSPITALS, TRAINED VOLUNTEERS VISIT THE FAMILIES TO TALK ABOUT BABY BRAIN AND LITERACY DEVELOPMENT. MORE THAN 60% OF CONNECTICUT'S FAMILIES WITH NEWBORNS ARE REACH THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, WHICH ALSO OFFERS A FREE OPT-IN FOLLOW-UP PROGRAM WITH MORE BOOKS AND INFORMATION MAILED TO ENROLLED FAMILIES AT THEIR CHILD'S THREE MONTH AND ONE-YEAR MILESTONES. IN SPRING 2020, THE ORGANIZATION LAUNCHED A PARTNERSHIP WITH CONNECTICUT CHILDREN'S NICU TO PROVIDE CHILDREN'S BOOKS FOR PARENTS TO READ TO THEIR BABIES ADMITTED TO THE NICU AND IN SPRING 2021, FOLLOWING A SUCCESSFUL PILOT YEAR WITH CONNECTICUT CHILDREN'S NICU, THE ORGANIZATION'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICIALLY APPROVED THE NICU PROJECT TO EXPAND TO OTHER SITES AS FUNDING AND PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES WILL ALLOW. IN WINTER 2022, READ TO GROW LAUNCHED THE NICU PROJECT AT CONNECTICUT CHILDREN'S FARMINGTON LOCATIONAND IN WINTER 2023, READ TO GROW LAUNCHED A THIRD NICU PROJECT SITE AT THE HOSPITAL OF CENTRAL CONNECTICUT IN NEW BRITAIN.

BOOKMOBILE - IN SEPTEMBER 2022, THE ORGANIZATION LAUNCHED A NEW PROGRAM: THE READ TO GROW BOOKMOBILE. CENTREVILLE BANK PROVIDED THE FUNDING TO PURCHASE THE VEHICLE AND OTHER FOUNDATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS HAVE CONTRIBUTED FUNDS TO PROVIDE BOOKS. THE BOOKMOBILE TRAVELS ACROSS THE STATE AND PROVIDES AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE FOR CHILDREN, FAMILIES AND CHILDCARE PROVIDERS WHO ARE ABLE TO BOARD THE BOOKMOBILE AND CHOOSE BOOKS TO KEEP. THE BOOKMOBILE EXPANDS AND DEEPENS READ TO GROW'S REACH ACROSS CONNECTICUT AND ENSURES THAT CHILDREN AND FAMILIES HAVE READY ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY BOOKS.MANAGING SPONSOR - BRIDGEPORT BOOK FESTIVAL IN WINTER 2019, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SENATOR CHRIS MURPHY AND RJ JULIA BOOKSELLERS, THE ORGANIZATION LAUNCHED THE BRIDGEPORT BOOK FESTIVAL AS THE MANAGING SPONSOR. THE FIRST LIVE EVENT FOR THE BRIDGEPORT BOOK FESTIVAL WAS SCHEDULED TO OCCUR IN MAY 2020 BUT WAS PUT ON HOLD DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC ("COVID-19"). IN THE MEANTIME, PARTNERS WERE ABLE TO DISTRIBUTE THOUSANDS OF BRAND-NEW BOOKS TO CHILDREN IN KINDERGARTEN-8TH GRADE AT MEAL DISTRIBUTION SITES AROUND THE CITY IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19. THE FESTIVAL COMMITTEE HOPES TO REIGNITE ENERGY AROUND THE BOOK FESTIVAL AND OFFICIALLY LAUNCH SOON.PUBLICATIONS - THE ORGANIZATION SELF-PUBLISHED A BOOK, WELCOME TO THE WORLD!, IN 2012 AND CONTINUES TO PURCHASE AND DISTRIBUTE COPIES IN THE LITERACY PACKETS DISTRIBUTED IN THE HOSPITALS THROUGH THE BOOKS FOR BABIES PROGRAM. THE BOOK WAS WRITTEN EXPRESSLY FOR THE ORGANIZATION BY NANCY ELIZABETH WALLACE AND WAS ILLUSTRATED BY MARSELA HAJADINIJAK-KREC OF CROATIA. WELCOME TO THE WORLD! OFFERS SIMPLE MESSAGES OF CELEBRATING FAMILIES AND BABIES: LEARNING STARTS AT BIRTH; THE PARENT IS THE CHILD'S FIRST TEACHER; AND READING, SINGING, PLAYING, AND BONDING WITH BABY IS HELPFUL TO THEIR GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. THE ORGANIZATION PUBLISHED A NEW BOARD BOOK IN JUNE 2021, HELLO SOMETIMES, FOR THE BIRTH 5 AGE GROUP. HELLO SOMETIMES, WRITTEN BY AMY VATNER AND ILLUSTRATED BY GABRIELLA SVENNINGSEN, HELPS CAREGIVERS AND FAMILIES PROCESS THE ONGOING CHALLENGES OF THE PANDEMIC WITH YOUNG CHILDREN. THE BOOK FEATURES SIMPLE RHYMES, DYNAMIC WATERCOLOR ILLUSTRATIONS, AND A DIVERSE ARRAY OF CHARACTERS. THANKS TO THE INCREDIBLE GENEROSITY OF SPONSORS AND DONORS, THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDED 25,962 COPIES OF HELLO SOMETIMES FREE OF CHARGE TO CHILDREN AGES BIRTH 5 ENROLLED IN THE PARTNER CHILDCARE AND PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS ACROSS CONNECTICUT IN THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2022 AND 6,214 COPIES IN THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2023.

BOOKS FOR KIDS IN ADDITION TO THE FOCUS ON PRENATAL AND NEWBORN FAMILIES, BOOKS FOR KIDS GIVES MORE THAN 50,000 BOOKS ANNUALLY TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ACROSS CONNECTICUT THROUGH FORMAL COLLABORATIONS WITH OTHER NONPROFITS ALREADY SERVING LOW-INCOME POPULATIONS. MANY OF THE PARTNERSHIPS CALL FOR DELIVERY OF THOUSANDS OF BOOKS EACH YEAR AND WORKSHOPS FOR FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN. ADDITIONALLY, THE ORGANIZATION CURRENTLY MAINTAINS BOOK PLACES AROUND THE STATE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION; FAMILIES ARE ABLE TO COME AND SELECT BOOKS TO TAKE HOME FOR THEIR HOME LIBRARIES. FINALLY IN RESPONSE TO REQUESTS, BOOKS FOR KIDS ALSO GIVES FREE CHILDREN'S BOOKS TO HUNDREDS OF TEACHERS, DOCTORS' OFFICES, OTHER HEALTHCARE AND CHILDCARE PROVIDERS, AND OTHER NONPROFITS, INCLUDING OTHER LITERACY FOCUSED AGENCIES AND MAILS BOOKS HOME TO FAMILIES WHO REQUEST BOOKS ONLINE. MANY COMMUNITY PARTNERS SERVE FAMILIES WHO SPEAK LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH AND BOOKS FOR KIDS STRIVES TO PROVIDE BILINGUAL BOOKS IN OTHER LANGUAGES WHEN POSSIBLE.

EARLY STEPS TO SCHOOL SUCCESS ("ESSS") IN EARLY 2019, THE ORGANIZATION LAUNCHED A THIRD PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SAVE THE CHILDREN FOR YOUNG CHILDREN LIVING IN POVERTY IN NEW HAVEN. ESSS IS A LITERACY-PROMOTING PROGRAM DESIGNED BY SAVE THE CHILDREN FOR CHILDREN PRE-BIRTH TO AGE 5. ESSS AIMS TO PREPARE CHILDREN FOR SCHOOL SUCCESS THROUGH HOME VISITS, PARENT-CHILD PLAYGROUPS, AND SCHOOL-BASED BOOK EXCHANGES AND DISTRIBUTIONS. IN 2020, ESS EXPANDED TO 4 SCHOOLS IN NEW HAVEN AND IN 2021 LAUNCHED AT 4 SCHOOLS IN BRIDGEPORT. COORDINATORS FOR THE PROGRAM SERVE OVER 200 FAMILIES.