Redwood City Library Needs Votes to Win $25,000 Grant

Photo and article by Redwood City Library Foundation

The Redwood City Library Foundation is excited to announce that it is in the running for a $25,000 grant through the State Farm Neighborhood Assist program to add a learning structure to promote Early Childhood Literacy in our Children’s Area. This structure will help to develop the literacy skills needed for children 0-5 to be successful in school.

Now, we need the community’s help to bring this grant home to Redwood City. From May 14th – June 3rd, the public can vote up to 10 times a day on Facebook for their favorite cause. The 40 causes that receive the most votes will win a $25,000 grant. The nominations and votes will be accepted exclusively through a free Facebook app. Here is the direct link to this project: https://www.state-assist.com/cause/1502278/early-childhood-literacy

An Early Childhood Learning Center, featuring a farmer’s market hands-on, interactive, learning station, is needed to be added in the centrally located library to provide a space for children of all income levels to experience early literacy behaviors that are essential to language and reading development. The multi-sided, free-standing, bi-lingual structure will focus on early literacy skills using story-telling, manual manipulation, historic elements, and family interaction. We also will be adding thousands of pre-selected books directly related to the learning structure to complement the activities. In addition, intensive programs that teach families how to teach, sing, read, write, and play will immediately be added with the structure – practices research shows are crucial to later success in school. Empowered parents can then practice and augment these skills at home with free materials they’ve checked out at the library.

Early language and literacy development begins in the first 3 years of life and yet most approaches to reading weaknesses are remedial, not preventative. A brain’s circuits for key functions such as vision/hearing, language, and higher cognitive function develop most in the first five years of life and are affected by a child’s early learning environment. A student who finishes second grade without being able to read has only a 1 in 4 chance of reading at grade level by the end of elementary school. All of us can help to get centrally-located structures and programs to give our children the best chance of excelling in school. Please help us get the word out. Every vote gets us closer to bringing this grant home.

Vote 10 times a day here: https://www.state-assist.com/cause/1502278/early-childhood-literacy