“Literacy is the most basic currency of the knowledge economy.”
– President Barack Obama
EDGE Nebraska City volunteers often get asked if we are that new “book program”. Yes, we are THAT book program but EDGE is so much more. When the concept of EDGE was first developed we looked at research and trends and arrived at two understandings:
- Literacy is the foundation for academic success. Academic success defined as confidence in the classroom, mastery of material and desire for continued learning.
- Access to books and books in the home are the best ways for children to build literacy skills.
Knowing these two important factors we then looked at how access to books might impact the families in our community and from there the Reader’s EDGE program was born. Over the course of 2.5 years we have increased the number of books going home with students each month. Currently 400+ books are distributed 7 times during the school year. It is our goal to help families build personal libraries that help them come together around a love of reading. In addition our own local library has a number of great resources for families to continue adding to their home library. Click HERE to learn about the Dollar Parton Imagination Library and receive free books mailed directly to your home.
And then it quickly became about more than just books. Books became the gateway for relationships and that is the most important product we can hope to develop through the work of EDGE. Our Book Besties visit classrooms every month, and then there might be the run in at the local grocery store and a child wants to introduce their parents to their Book Bestie and suddenly there is another adult invested in the life of one of our children and now the village just got a little bigger.
So yes, we are “that book program” and we are so much more. We hope to share in future blogs what other programs we offer. We think you will like the direction EDGE is going and what we as a community can do together for our families and our future. As a community we are on the edge of great things and we are ready to work with you to realize that greatness.