Early Learning Coalition Awarded $10,000 Grant from Bradenton Kiwanis

January 10, 2024 – Sarasota

The Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County (ELC) has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the Bradenton Kiwanis Club to help fund the highly impactful ReadingPals program.

ReadingPals provides mentors to VPK (Voluntary Prekindergarten) children at local child care sites to positively influence students’ understanding of the fundamental building blocks of early literacy. In addition, through genuine and impactful relationships, mentors help enhance a solid social-emotional foundation for young learners.

ReadingPals volunteer mentors meet with their students for one hour each week for at least 25 sessions throughout the school year. Mentors are screened and trained by the ELC, which also provides continuous mentor support. The books for the program are provided through the ELC, and students take a copy of the books home to add to their at-home libraries.

Last year, the ReadingPals program helped develop reading skills in over 100 Manatee County VPK students, who saw tremendous gains in their reading comprehension.

Sharon Greer, Director of A Child’s Galaxy Preschool, said: “ReadingPals has made a phenomenal impact on my students. It has enlightened the children’s love for reading and books. It’s a great beginning for an early reader.”

Darrell King, ELC Chief Executive Officer, said: “Early literacy is a mainstay of our work at ELC. Last year, we were able to provide over 52,000 free books to children in our local community. This grant from Bradenton Kiwanis will help us to train more volunteers so students can get one-on-one interaction, as well as provide more books for incoming students. We are so grateful that Bradenton Kiwanis recognizes the importance of early literacy as crucial to preparing children for school.”

ReadingPals is a statewide initiative managed by The Children’s Movement of Florida. The pillars of ReadingPals are mentoring, early literacy, and social-emotional development. These three things are crucial to ensuring a child gains the necessary skills for a successful transition to kindergarten.

If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer for ReadingPals or learning more about the program, please visit www.elc-manatee.org/ReadingPals or call (941) 757-2900 ext. 2500.