About Bright Beginnings
Bright Beginnings: Building a Community of Readers is an innovative, comprehensive early literacy initiative combining enriched story time experiences, deposit book collections, child care provider training, a community awareness campaign, and the Bright Beginnings web pages which serve as a clearinghouse of literacy information for southern Nevada.
In early 2006, Henderson Libraries recognized that a number of community needs were not being met by the library services that were in place. One of these needs was for a comprehensive program to stimulate and coordinate community involvement in the early literacy development of Henderson’s youngest community members. Based on this need, and the groundbreaking work being done in public libraries nationwide, the Henderson Libraries Outreach Department developed the Bright Beginnings initiative.
Henderson Libraries applied for, and was awarded, an Innovation Grant which is federally funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and administered by the Nevada State Library and Archives. This was the seed money for purchasing deposit collection books, assessment materials, and equipment necessary to implement the various program components. United Way of Southern Nevada, Success By 6® has also provided the funds to support portions of the Bright Beginnings programming through 2011.
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Within the first six months of the Bright Beginnings initiative, we are encouraged by the following successes:
- Bright Beginnings Book Collections (deposit collections) are on site at 6 locations, including the Henderson Head Start location, Safe House, Sewell Elementary School, Family to Family Connection, and Henderson Allied Community Advocates. Other locations are soon to follow, with up to 12 locations planned by 2010.
- Learn and Play programs for children 0 to age 3 and their parents and caregivers have been developed and conducted at several locations in Henderson.
- Ready for School programs for children 3-1/2 to 6 and their parents and caregivers have been developed and conducted at several locations as well. Both programs have been well-received, and demand outpaces our ability to provide programming.
- Several of our Book Collection locations also have been provided with LCD/DVD screens and parenting/early literacy videos to run in their waiting areas to increase public awareness of what adults can do to increase the literacy skills of preschool-aged children.
- Nearly 200 child care providers have received child development/early literacy training at Nevada Registry approved training classes conducted by Henderson Libraries.
- Bright Beginnings Web Pages are active and regularly updated.
For more information on this innovative program, please contact us!
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