Nebraska Growing Readers is a partnership between Nebraska Department of Education, Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, the Statewide Family Engagement Center, and Unite for Literacy to expand access to books across the state by identifying book deserts within Nebraska and providing those communities with greater book access.
Nebraska Children envisions a state where every child has the resources and support to thrive. We are excited to partner with the Nebraska Department of Education and Unite for Literacy on this statewide effort to expand access to books for Nebraska’s youngest children as well as encourage parents to read with their children on a daily basis.
--Mary Jo Pankoke, President and CEO of Nebraska Children and Families Foundation
The History of Nebraska Growing Readers
Nebraska Growing Readers began, in October of 2023, building an infrastructure in the state for distributing books to areas most in need of access, for promoting the adoption of shared reading habits, and for creating locally tailored content. You can see the scope of our early work in the graphic below.
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The families appreciate having access to free books on a regular basis. I think they really love the self-selection of it, letting their child choose the titles they want to take home. Our families are also excited to see that they can continue to have new book options. Now that they are noticing new titles each month, there is more excitement and engagement.
--Janelle Nissen, School Director, Educare of Omaha Indian Hill
