Dolly Parton Imagination Library

Program Overview

There is a known need for support in early childhood education in Routt County. In 2016, Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) assessment reports that nearly 40% of children in Routt County are not prepared for kindergarten in literacy and reading. Women United launched the Imagination Library program to try to improve kindergarten readiness in Routt County. The Imagination Library is a nationwide program that delivers one book per month directly to the homes of children from birth until age five, at no cost to the family.

Having books in the home increases amount of time reading with children, which is a proven indicator of early academic success. By providing access to books at home, our objective is to increase one-on-one reading time with children, which will in turn improve kindergarten readiness in reading and literacy.

Cost Info

Student and Volunteer Success Stories

We often receive photos from families who have received books through the Imagination Library, and have had great feedback from the community. And we often hear parent feedback about increased time spent reading at home.

In addition to the Imagination Library, our Women United group partnered with local elementary schools to provide volunteers to and after school reading and homework help program. Over the past five months this program has built a foundation of weekly and monthly volunteers.

One of our favorite stories is of a volunteer who was paired to work with two second language learners who had no English comprehension or vocabulary. In order to get overcome the language barrier our volunteer used charades, drew pictures, and at one point ended up hopping around like a frog to demonstrate of the words. Even with no shared language they were still able to learn together!

It's stories like this one that remind us what a huge impact it makes to spend an hour or two after school reading, and what a difference it can make for kids when they have books around their home.