Savannah Junior League Launches New Literacy Program

Non-Profits

8/28/2009 11:41:00 AM

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The initiative was launched during the Reading Under the Stars event, which featured First Lady Mary Perdue reading to 75 of Georgia�s Pre-K children in the gardens of the Governor�s Mansion.

Savannah Junior League Launches New Literacy Program
(SAVANNAH, GA) The Junior League of Savannah, in partnership with 11 sister Junior Leagues across Georgia, is participating in a new initiative called "The Million Minute Read" to promote literacy and school readiness in Georgia.

Through a shared commitment to children and their success in school, the Junior Leagues of Georgia have partnered to read one million minutes to Georgia's children from September 2009 to April 2010. Reading aloud to children is one of the best ways to facilitate their oral language and vocabulary development. Studies have proven that children who are exposed to a rich vocabulary have a greater chance of success in school. By third grade, children must be reading to learn, not learning to read. It's a critical component of early childhood education, and a great opportunity for Junior League volunteers to make a lasting impact in the lives of children.

The Million Minute Read is being conducted in partnership with Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning and its "A Million Dreams and Counting" program, which celebrates the one millionth child passing through the doors of the Georgia Pre-K program this fall. Established in 1993, Bright from the Start provides the state's four year-old children with high quality preschool experiences.

"The Million Minute Read fits well with our current focus on women and children's advocacy," says Junior League of Savannah President Julie Allen. "We are able to incorporate a reading component into many of our existing community projects and more specifically, it supports our partnership with Savannah-Chatham Public School System and its In2Books program."

Among other volunteer initiatives, Junior League members will be participating in SCPSS's new eMentoring program "In2Books". The program is designed to foster reading, writing and critical thinking skills by connecting caring adult mentors with children in the classroom. Minutes reading with the In2Books program, as well as those coming from other Junior League of Savannah projects, will count towards the collective one million goal.

The initiative was launched on August 25 during the Reading Under the Stars event, which featured First Lady Mary Perdue reading to 75 of Georgia's Pre-K children in the gardens of the Governor's Mansion. Gaye Smith, a Past President of the Junior League of Savannah and the current Executive Director of the Georgia Family Connection Partnership, represented Savannah at the event. Emily McCarthy, a Savannah League member, was selected to photograph the event. The event was hosted by the Governor and First Lady in partnership with the Junior Leagues of Georgia and Bright from the Start. Backpacks and school supplies were given to each child in attendance, as well as blankets.

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