Lincoln Elementary’s Family-Community Resource Center recently received a grant in the amount of $1,150 from Altrusa International of Clark County to encourage and engage parents to become more involved in reading with their children. The award, part of a competitive family literacy initiative, is one of two issued this year in Clark County.
The grant funded the family engagement program, called Lincoln Loves Reading: Family Literacy Night. On Nov. 6, Lincoln’s doors opened from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and more than 150 families were encouraged to dress in their pajamas, enjoy milk and cookies and engage in hands-on reading activities. The event highlighted a professional storyteller and gave each student in attendance a new book. At Lincoln Elementary 69 percent of the student body qualifies for free or reduced lunch and 15 percent are from homes where English is spoken as a second language.
Family literacy events are critical in advancing student’s learning and success in the classroom. According to Debbie Jennerjohn, vice president of Altrusa International of Clark County, “Reading is critically important. The placement of the Family-Community Resource Centers has helped the schools organize and mobilize to obtain support and funding for their important work.”