New Initiative: Early Readers Now

The District of Columbia Department of Human Services (DHS), Early Care and Education Administration (ECEA), has announced that D.C. LEARNs has been selected to oversee and provide management for the Early Readers Now volunteer literacy program.

Previously managed by ECEA staff, the Early Readers Now volunteer program was initiated by ECEA in 2005 to enhance the emerging literacy skills of children in early education settings and help prepare them for kindergarten by recruiting volunteers trained in interactive read aloud techniques to read one-on-one with a child.

One of the goals of D.C. LEARNs’ current three-year strategic plan is to identify, support, and pilot efforts to address gaps in literacy services, and in doing so increase coordination between literacy programs and related issues and services. The hope for Early Readers Now is to pilot a process by which D.C. LEARNs works with coalition members to train and support volunteers for pre-K childcare programs in their communities.

The idea is to centralize the public awareness, volunteer recruitment, and childcare center recruitment responsibilities for the program here at D.C. LEARNs; D.C. LEARNs members will then be recruited to serve as the local hub for volunteer training and support. For the first year, D.C. LEARNs will be partnering with the Friendship House Association, a longstanding D.C. LEARNs member, to serve as this hub.

A complete press release is available. [PDF]

D.C. LEARNs is also pleased to announce that Jessica Young, a former AmeriCorps VISTA with D.C. LEARNs, has been hired to coordinate the program.