Aspen to Parachute

Blue Bag Library Days introduce all children who participate in one of our book programs to local libraries so they and their families can access books and other resources. Children receive a Raising A Reader blue library bag to keep and carry their library books to and from home. They also receive their first library cards and information about summer reading programs, thus promoting lifelong public library use. On average, 800 children receive a blue bag along with a library card every year.

123 Let's Read gifts one book per month to each participating preschool teacher and every student in their class. Each book has customized suggestions for home activities to stimulate brain development, enhance vocabulary, and motivate at-home reading. Each child receives nine books a year to build the all-important home library. Since the pandemic began, this program has grown because it is a school-friendly and safe way to provide children and families with literacy resources. Since books are gifted, this program is costly. We served 750 children in the 123 Let's Read program last year.

Our Red Book Bags promote parent-child bonding and increase read-aloud time at home by providing families of preschool and kindergarten children with 75+ high-quality books. Each week during the school year, children take home a different red bag filled with 3-4 books to read with their parents, enjoy by themselves, and return for a new bag the following week. Each bag provided resources to motivate parents to read regularly at home with their families. This past year a total of 650 children and their families benefited from this program.

Our Summer Camp program is an evidence-based three-week camp filled with playful activities, including literacy and language development for children ages 0-5. We partner with Focused Kids and Vroom, implementing brain-based mindfulness exercises. We provide families with high-quality multicultural, bilingual children's books and materials to take home to build home libraries, including age-appropriate activities that prepare children for the school year ahead. Last year 80 parents and 105 children participated in our Summer Camp program.

Bolsitas Rojas/Little Red Bags Outreach fills a need for our most underserved children and parents. These parent-child early literacy family networks bring together families of children not enrolled in preschool. In weekly, hour-long "preschool" sessions, Raising A Reader staff model storytime, provide preschool activities and encourage parent engagement, positive literacy behaviors, and family dynamics and well-being at home. These sessions also include the weekly rotation of our Red Book Bags. Our Bolsitas Rojas program served 150 families last year.