The Foundation for the Kent County Public Library has been awarded a $5,962 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.
“Summer Readers Thrive” will be the theme for the 2017 Kent County Public Library Summer Reading Program with special focus on the youngest readers. KCPL is looking forward to reaching even more children in the community by providing additional opportunities for summer reading participation, to prepare children for school, foster their love of reading, and excite them about the library and all it has to offer.There will also be early literacy education workshops for parents, childcare providers and educators to provide them with the necessary resources and support for early learning.The grant will enable the library to provide opportunities to improve 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 an early education initiative,” said Jackie Adams, Library Director. “The Library’s goal is to foster and support ongoing interaction for children with reading activities throughout the summer and encourage families and caregivers to promote reading throughout the year.”
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 and 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 Kent County Public Library Summer Reading Program 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 FY 2016, nearly 5,600 community members attended children’s 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.
About the Organizations
The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC), actively supports organizations that provide services for the benefit of communities in which it has a significant presence. The foundation focuses its philanthropic mission on early childhood education and community and economic development, which includes the arts and culture. Through Grow Up Great, its signature cause that began in 2004, PNC has created a $350 million multi-year initiative to help prepare children from birth to age five for success in school and life.
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