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Parent Services Project :: Newsletters & Target Summaries
Raising A Reader

Raising A Reader Ambassadors
Summary
Marin is often thought of as one of the richest counties in the country, but in fact it has one of the highest disparities between rich and poor. Disadvantaged children in this area often don't receive the help they need. We work with our partners to empower our youngest community members with a love of reading that will change their lives. We use a unique model of training parent leaders as Raising A Reader Ambassadors who bring vital literacy supports to their community members to close achievement gaps before they start. With our partners at Novato Youth Center, Parent Services Project connected with Novato Promotoras interested in empowering others with early literacy strategies.
What is the issue, problem, or challenge?
There are over 15,000 children living in poverty in Marin. Raising A Reader brings books into the home for those families most at risk of not having access to much needed books to help their children learn. The connection between early literacy and school success is clear—children who have not already developed some basic literacy practices when they enter school are up to four times more likely to drop out in later years. Families need books from the very start!
How will this project solve this problem?
RAR Ambassadors serve RAR sites that provide books to children through book bag rotation. The Ambassadors conduct fun story times, family literacy workshops, and establish connections with local libraries. Families learn effective and free ways to share books with their children and make reading come alive in the home. The pilot program started with family day care providers reached through RAR and our partners Marin Child Care Council. The Ambassador program's success has led to more storytimes, now in Marin Head Start and Early Head Start sites.
Potential Long Term Impact
Each Raising A Reader Ambassador connects 20 families with books and knowledge for a minimum 120 families' lives changed with literacy. Reading skills lead to school success and breaking the cycle of poverty for families with education.