The United Way of the Wabash Valley has awarded over $9,000 through its latest cycle of open grants supporting early childhood literacy projects. Success By 6, an impact council of the United Way, mobilizes community resources to ensure that young children are provided with nurturing learning environments during the critical development years of birth to 6.
The goal of the Success By 6 Grant Program for Early Childhood Literacy Projects is to provide funding to early childhood educators and child care providers for the purpose of conducting an experience that will nurture a love for reading and learning in young children (0 – 5) and their families. The awards this year will affect over 350 local children in our community. Each grant program required an activity focused around a book(s) and each child must receive a copy of the book related to the activity. It also required parent/family activities to be included in the event. Each grant was a maximum of $1,000 each.
Holly Curtsinger, review team chairperson, stated, “This grant cycle was rather impressive in terms of both the quality of applications received and the overall number of applications submitted. The committee has worked very hard to make the process easy to navigate and appealing for childcare providers and community agencies, and it looks like people are responding. We are pleased to have awarded our first grant to the Casey Township Library in Clark County, IL. We recognize that public libraries are the hub of literacy based initiatives in their communities, and we are thrilled to be able to reach this new audience through the award process. Additionally, the Swope is a first time grant recipient, for support of their Art Start program. This helps us reach children we normally wouldn’t reach. It is a wonderful community collaborative that promotes early literacy and art appreciation, and we are excited to help foster this relationship.”
The 2019 early childhood literacy grant recipients are:
Casey, IL Township Library
CRADLES of Clay County – Brazil
Davis Park Elementary Title 1 Preschool
DeVaney Elementary Title 1 Preschool
Franklin Elementary Title 1 Preschool
Hamilton Center Early Headstart
Karen’s Kids Unit 2
KidLogic Daycare and Preschool
Little Racers Early Learning Center – Riley Elementary School
Sprouts Child Care in West Terre Haute
Swope Art Museum
Tender Moments Play House & Preschool
Valley Child Development Center in Clinton
The application process will open again in the fall of 2019.
If you have any questions, please contact Mark Johnson, Community Impact Director, United Way of the Wabash Valley at 812.235.6287 or by e-mail at [email protected].
