PITTSBURGH — The City of Pittsburgh and Reading Ready Pittsburgh announced the expansion of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL) Thursday at Phillips Recreation Center in Carrick.
The expansion includes a new “Imagine Free Books for All Children” campaign, aimed at enrolling 65% of eligible children in the city over the next five years.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library sends an age-appropriate book to enrolled children every month from birth until their fifth birthday, allowing them to build a personal library of up to 60 books.
The program aims to boost kindergarten readiness and foster a lifelong love of reading. There are currently 4,200 children enrolled in the program in Pittsburgh, representing roughly 30% of the 14,000 children under age 5 living in the city. The program is completely free for children and has no household income requirements.
“Through this program, we have the opportunity for every kid under age 5 in the City of Pittsburgh to get a free book in the mail every month, which is an investment in the future of our youngest residents,” Mayor Corey O’Connor said.
Access to books at home is among the strongest predictors of academic success, regardless of a family’s income or parental education, city officials say. Studies conducted by the Dollywood Foundation indicate that after receiving just 10 books through the Imagination Library, children were at least four times more likely to demonstrate stronger emerging literacy skills.
The Benter Foundation has committed to investing $1.8 million over the next five years to support the program’s expansion. Bill Benter of The Benter Foundation expressed enthusiasm for the initiative.
“We are pleased to support this invaluable program and believe that investing in early literacy is one of the most important things we can do for the future of Pittsburgh,” Benter said.
Major partners are seeking local funders, corporations and individual donors to double the funds already committed.
Expanded outreach efforts will be led by Reading Ready Pittsburgh and the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs. These efforts will include a marketing campaign, community partnerships and canvassing to families with children under age 5.
Dr. Mary Denison from Reading Ready Pittsburgh underscored the program’s mission.
“Every child in Pittsburgh deserves a bookshelf full of stories and the chance to grow up knowing the joy of reading,” Dr. Denison said. “Through this expansion of DPIL, we’re building a foundation for a lifetime of learning. We’re proud to have the City of Pittsburgh and Mayor O’Connor’s partnership as we work to fulfill the mission of mailing books to all of Pittsburgh’s young children.”
Families interested in enrolling their children can register online by clicking here.
Enrollment materials will be available at CitiParks locations, including pools and recreation centers, at city-hosted events and through the Mayor’s Office newsletter and social media channels.
Families can also register for the program at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh locations, where staff are available to assist with online and paper applications.
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