The Foundation for the Kent County Public Library has been awarded a $6,600 grant from the PNC Foundation to continue their Early Literacy initiative that focuses on improving school readiness. PNC provided the funding in support of Grow Up Great, its bilingual program in early childhood education.
“Library Building Blocks” will offer workshops for parents and educators to provide necessary resources and support for early learning. The grant will also enable the library to provide opportunities for preschoolers and toddlers to explore hands-on activities at the library to enhance vocabulary, fine motor skills, color recognition, number identification and imaginative play, ultimately improving school readiness in Kent County Maryland.
“Thanks to the PNC Grow Up Great Grant, KCPL’s exceptional Children’s Department will continue to be an integral part of our early education initiative,” said Jackie Adams, Library Director. “It allows us to continue to serve low and moderate income children and their families by providing direct services for children and family engagement in the community.”
The grant from the PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC), will enable the Kent County Public Library to engage professional childcare presenters as part of family café events, purchase board books, picture books and early learning toys. The grant also will fund the purchase of educational supplies to support these programs and provide core knowledge training and readiness skills for early care providers and parents to earn Continuing Education Units.
“PNC is committed to providing families with the tools and resources to help children be successful in kindergarten and life,” said Chick Hamm, PNC Executive Vice President and Market Executive in Greater Maryland. “We are thrilled to expand our support of the Early Literacy Center as it continues to serve a critical community need – helping more Kent County children arrive at kindergarten with essential skills and ready to learn.”
In 2013, more than 4,200 community members attended library programs offered throughout the year, including weekly story times and other culturally enriching programs. The library has early literacy computers in all the branches, and it has been able to provide take home learning backpacks with books, puzzles, games, and puppets which support all areas of the Maryland Model for School Readiness. The library also offers a summer reading program which includes a summer reading game with books as prizes that serve as incentives for reading.
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