Inspired by her father’s inability to read and write, Dolly started a non-profit organization called the Imagination Library in 1995 to help with early literacy among children. What started in her hometown in Tennessee has grown to span five countries and has helped place over a million free books to children around the world.
Dolly Parton was quoted as saying, “When I was growing up in the hills of east Tennessee, I knew my dreams would come true. I know there are children in your community with their own dreams. They dream of becoming a doctor or an inventor or a minister. Who knows, maybe there is a little girl whose dream is to be a writer and a singer. The seeds of these dreams are often found in books and the seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world.”
The Kane Education Foundation (KEF), a non-profit that helps with early literacy in Kane County, and similarly has had a birth-to-five program for many years, focusing on local needs. It was a natural fit for KEF to partner with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
Executive Director for the foundation, Calli Kelly, said, “The Kane Education Foundation has had great success with our birth-to-five literacy program. It is a program we are very proud of and it has been expanding beyond our capabilities. In searching for solutions to reach more children and keep the program going, we have partnered with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (seriously, Dolly is amazing, what doesn’t this woman do). Partnering with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library will help KEF get a new book into the hands of children every month, free of charge, instead of just four times a year as before. The excitement a child feels when they get to touch a new book every month is contagious and inspires lifelong learning and we want to keep that going.”
If you have been a part of KEF’s literacy program you are already registered for the Imagination Library. If not you can register at: https://imaginationlibrary.com/check-availability/.
If you are passionate about early literacy, or helping contribute to the efforts of the Kane Education Foundation by bringing a world of new opportunities to the students of Kane County, please consider a donation at www.kaneeducationfoundation.org.
