MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) – Young learners in Mobile can enroll in a program laying the groundwork for a bright academic future through the partnership of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the United Way and the Mobile County Public School System.
“We know that it expands their vocabulary, it builds foundational language skills and it also stimulates their brain development so we wanna make sure that we are creating those atmospheres for a love for learning,” said Principal of Just 4 Leslie Thompson.
Thompson is the principal of Just 4, a pre-k school in Mobile County.
Thompson shared the importance of putting books in the hands of children before they start kindergarten.
“It essentially expands their knowledge and we wanna make sure that when our kids go to their next academic experience, they are more than prepared,” she said.
Dolly’s Imagination Library allows children under the age of five to receive one free book a month.
School officials said MCPSS is contributing $225,000 in state grant funding while the United Way of Southwest Alabama covers postage for the books.
President of the United Way of Southwest Alabama Justine Bixler said they want to make the program as easy as possible for parents to enroll their children.
“It’s completely free of charge. And so United Way has a portal set up for our website where you can go to United Way’s website, you can go directly to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library’s website and look up your zip code,” Bixler said.
Tomasine Lewis is a teacher at Just 4 and said this program has benefits beyond just learning.
“With the way that children are engrossed with technology now, so it would be amazing how…you would be amazed how many students don’t even know how to manipulate a hard book and so with them having books in their hands, they’re able to revisit and learn and just learn to develop the love of what our literature has to offer for it,” said Lewis.
MCPSS said they are specifically focused on enrolling children who are homeless or at risk to ensure they have an opportunity to get books in their hands before they start school.
They said their goal is to sign up 1,800 eligible children in Mobile County.
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