February 5, 2018 — United Way of Racine County’s Imagination Library has reached a major milestone—as of February, more than 100,000 books have been mailed to Racine County children. Because of these books, a child's world has grown just a bit more, a family has found a new way to grow closer, and parents have found a new resource to provide their children with the education they deserve.
Imagination Library is a program through which participating children birth to age five receive free, age-appropriate books in the mail each month. In 2009, United Way launched the Imagination Library initiative in Racine County. The program was a perfect fit for United Way’s early childhood priority of school readiness and children’s healthy development.
Families involved in Imagination Library express appreciation for the learning opportunity and family bonding that the monthly book deliveries provide. “As a reading specialist, I have been amazed at the high quality and variety of the books we have received,” said Ann Hillman, high school reading teacher and mother of an Imagination Library participant. “This program helped us start an intensive nightly reading time that provides quality time for the two of us to read, discuss, and share thoughts together.”
Heather Martinez, another participating parent, stated, “I am a strong believer in educating our children to encourage them to be ready for school and to have a better future. [Imagination Library] provides my son with even more learning opportunities than he’s getting at daycare.”
As of 2017, more than 5,100 local children have received Imagination Library’s books. On average, Burlington Area School District kindergartners who participated in Imagination Library achieved higher literacy screener scores than their peers who did not receive Imagination Library books at their home. That represents a substantial literacy enhancement for our community. Imagination Library is just one way in which United Way is working toward its goal of ensuring that 85 percent of students graduate high school with the knowledge, skills and motivation to succeed in college, vocational training, or careers.
Imagination Library Program Coordinator Joanee Meyerhofer said, “The Imagination Library program offers a shared literacy experience delivered right to the door. It encourages parent and child engagement while building home libraries with high-quality, age appropriate books each month. These books not only provide the very foundation for future academic success, but also act as a powerful equalizer in education.”
To learn more about Imagination Library, register a child, or make a contribution, visit UnitedWayRacine.org/IL.
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