Literacy

Strong literacy skills are rooted in reading and language development and are fundamental for children to succeed in school and beyond. Positioning all children for success requires not only effective literacy interventions but also the collaborative and coordinated effort of a diverse array of community stakeholders who work with families and communities to create rich literacy environments.

League Spotlights

  • 30 Million Words

    30 Million Words

    Junior League of Minneapolis

    The mission of 30 Million Words is to increase the number of words heard by low-income children. This is accomplished through fun, celebratory events that provide one-on-one mentoring and increased access to culturally relevant books.

    Click here to read more >

  • All Booked Up

    All Booked Up

    Junior League of Nashville

    JLN hosted All Booked Up, a free literacy-based event for children and families. All Booked Up engaged young readers through literacy workshops, imagination stations, character meet-and-greets and read-alouds.

    Click here to read more >

  • Baby Steps logo

    Baby Steps

    Junior League of Norman

    Baby Steps was first opened by the Junior League of Norman in 1993 and supports teen parents as they complete their high school education and build parenting skills. More than 150 pregnant and parenting teens have graduated high school while participating in the Baby Steps program.

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  • Between the Lines

    Between the Lines

    Junior League of Minneapolis

    The mission of Between the Lines is to strengthen the bond between child and parent/caretaker during a lengthy separation, specifically children of a female parent incarcerated at the Minnesota Correctional Facility at Shakopee and children of a parent(s) being deployed through Minnesota’s Beyond the Yellow Ribbon’s Family Preparation Academies.

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  • JL North Little Rock

    Between the Lines

    Junior League of North Little Rock

    The Between the Lines Project will support the Arkansas Campaign for Grade Level Reading’s (AR-GLR) goal that by 2020, all Arkansas children will read at grade level by the end of third grade.

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  • JLN Book Drive

    Book Drive

    Junior League of Nashville

    The Junior League of Nashville has partnered with Usborne Books to purchase brand new books for five of their literacy partner agencies. Additionally, League Members and the general public can shop online, purchasing books for themselves or from the wish lists created by their partner agencies.

    Click here to read more >

  • JL Syracuse

    Book Nook

    Junior League of Syracuse

    The Junior League of Syracuse returned to the The Westside Family Resource Center (Little White House of Hope) to celebrate another year of reading and restocking the shelves of the Book Nook built during the 2016 National Volunteer Week Activity.

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  • Book 'em

    Book 'em

    Junior League of Nashville

    The Junior League of Nashville partners with Book‘em’s Reading is Fundamental program, where JLN volunteers distribute and read books to elementary classrooms five times a year.

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  • BookWORM

    BookWORM

    Junior League of Winston-Salem

    The Junior League of Winston-Salem (JLWS) aims to help families gain greater access to books through BookWORM, a drive to collect new and gently used children’s books from its members and the greater community.

    Click here to read more >

  • Bright Starts

    Bright Starts

    Junior League of Champaign-Urbana

    Junior League of Champaign-Urbana has partnered with Urbana Early Childhood School (UECS) and Champaign County Head Start/Early Head Start in the first local community effort to reach families who had not experienced pre-school education and environment.

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  • Dolly Parton Imagination Library

    The Dolly Parton Imagination Library of Louisville

    Junior League of Louisville

    The Dolly Parton Imagination Library of Louisville was founded in 2016 through a partnership between the Junior League of Louisville, WAVE 3 News and the Jefferson County Public Education Foundation. Its mission is to put more books in the hands of Jefferson County children in an effort to foster a child’s love of reading and prepare them for kindergarten.

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  • JL Waco

    Educate and Collaborate Workshops

    Junior League of Waco

    The Educate and Collaborate Committee implements professional development opportunities for local early childhood professionals.

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  • Family Literacy Night

    Family Literacy Night

    Junior League of Tampa

    After years of promoting literacy in schools, the Junior League of Tampa realized a gap still existed between learning at home and school, particularly when it came to reading and writing skills.

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  • JL Denver

    Kids Connect

    Junior League of Denver

    Kids Connect, a program designed and implemented by the Junior League of Denver (JLD), educates and nurtures families with children by focusing on early childhood brain development.

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  • Lemonade Day

    Lemonade Day

    Junior League of Louisville

    Lemonade Day is a fun and interactive way for kids to learn how to start their own business using a lemonade stand.

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  • JL Nashville

    Literacy Community Outcomes

    Junior League of Nashville

    Through the establishment of strategic alliances, the Junior League of Nashville seeks to improve literacy outcomes for Nashville children and ensure that at-risk children and families have increased access to educational support programs and materials.

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  • Literacy Leaders

    Literacy Leaders

    Junior League of Collin County

    Trained JL Collin County volunteers assist in teaching adult and children’s literacy classes, provide one-on-one tutoring, curriculum development, and facilitation of group sessions.

    Click here to read more >

  • Little Libraries

    Little Libraries

    Junior League of Louisville

    The JLL maintains and restocks 5 Little Libraries (wood boxes containing up to 40 books that can be borrowed by anyone in the community) in partnership with Metro United Way.

    Click here to read more >

  • Little Red Bookshelf

    The Little Red Bookshelf

    Junior League of Greater Springfield, MA

    The Little Red Bookshelf program re-circulates gently-used children’s books back into the greater Springfield community where they are made available free for families to own.

    Click here to read more >

  • MILO bus

    MILO

    Junior League of Tampa

    Education is a key focus area of the Junior League of Tampa, with a particular emphasis on emerging literacy. However, the League noticed areas across Hillsborough County that were under served and did not have access to literacy promotion resources.

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  • JL Erie

    Music Takes Action

    Junior League of Erie

    The mission of this program is to create positive musical experiences that promote early music appreciation and early literacy skills in young students to better prepare them for success in school and beyond.

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  • JL Huntsville

    One on One: Let's Read

    Junior League of Huntsville

    The One on One: Let’s Read initiative, in partnership with Huntsville Housing Authority, was created in 2016 in response to a rezoning of Title 1 school students to higher performing elementary schools within the City of Huntsville. This transition created an opportunity for our volunteers to provide literacy resources to those residing in rezoned communities.

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  • Read 2 Succeed

    Read 2 Succeed

    Junior League of Stamford-Norwalk

    Read 2 Succeed works to get more books into the hands of young readers and provide literacy-themed events to children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

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  • Read With Me

    Read With Me

    Junior League of Gainsville

    The Junior League of Gainesville’s Read with Me program works to open the world of books to students.

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  • Resolution Read

    Resolution Read

    Junior League of Washington

    Each year, the Junior League of Washington’s (JLW) Resolution Read initiative donates thousands of new books to children across the Washington, DC, community.

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  • Paws to Read

    Therapy Dogs - JLM & Paws to Read

    Junior League of Miami

    Working in partnership with area libraries throughout Miami-Dade, the Therapy Dogs committee share their certified Therapy dog teams in order to help children connect with books and develop a love of reading.

    Click here to read more >

  • Treasure Hunt Book Fair

    Treasure Hunt Book Fair

    Junior League of Spokane

    In 2017, the Junior League of Spokane walked the plank…and dove headfirst into childhood literacy by hosting the Treasure Hunt Book Fair! Hosted at the West Central Community Center, they welcomed neighborhood kids and their families to this pirate-themed fair, where they visited booths with literacy-related projects and gathered information from community partners.

    Click here to read more >

  • World of Reading

    World of Reading

    Junior League of Greater Lakeland

    At the World of Reading Festival you’ll find crafts, kids activities, balloon artists, face painters, snacks and drinks, and a chance to meet a Featured Author. Each child that attends the event also receives FREE books.

    Click here to read more >