Monday, February 4, 2019

YCPO - February 2019


Good Morning Fellow Kiwanians!

UPDATE READING CORNER IN LAUNDROMAT PROJECT IN NEW ENGLAND DISTRICT :

    The Manchester New Hampshire Club has established a Reading Corner in a local laundromat. Thank you to Laura Schneider-Nesmith and Marilyn Charbonneau for their work in getting the project up and running smoothly.

    A Reading Corner has been set up in a local laundromat in Caribou, Maine. with the help of a $200 grant from the Kiwanis a Foundation of New England. Thank you to Bill Francis and Club members for their work in maintaining this project. I’ve been told that this Reading Corner is so successful, that the owner of the laundromat has asked the club to set up a Reading Corner in another local laundromat. Kudos to club members!

    The Mt. Washington Valley Kiwanis Club has set up a Reading Corner in a waiting area at their local hospital emergency room area. Kiwanians are innovative, and they modify projects to meet the needs of their communities. Kudos to Janice Andrews and Club members for their efforts!

    Scarborough Maine Kiwanis has established a Reading Corner at the Scarborough Food Pantry. It is going well especially during the summer when children don’t have access to books.

    The Danvers MA. Kiwanis Club haste up a Reading Corner on High  St. In Danvers. The project was spearheaded by a committee which included Janet Bennett and Mary Giangregerio. The very small area was set up using a magazine rack for the donated books from members of the Danvers Club. They put Kiwanis stickers on all the books.

    Amesbury Kiwanis Club has set up a Reading Corner at the Hillside Launderette in Amesbury.

    The Peabody Club has all necessary materials and is looking for a facility.
    The Methuen Kiwanis Club was happy to have completed another service project. The  Merrimack Laundromat and Car Wash on Burnham Rd in Methuen was the proud recipient of a book library.


GREAT NEWS!
The Kiwanis Foundation of New England, through their Grant Program, has pre-approved   $1600 funding to help pay for the kits for the Reading Corners(total cost per kit ). A Kiwanis Club must fill out the KFNE Grant application with specific information about the laundromat where the Reading Corner will be set up. Submit the completed application to grants@kfne.org. The Club will receive $200 to buy the kit from ReadyNation. The grant  money will be distributed on a “first come, first serve” basis. Each Club may apply only once for this assistance. For more information go to www.kfne.org and click on grant program info.

I encourage you to establish a Reading Corner in a local laundromat in your community. The Reading Corner set up is a relatively low cost project ($100 or less) and can have a huge impact for local families and young children. Once set up you may find that your local library will supply your Club with gently used books, or Club member and friends can be asked to donate gently used books to replenish the supply of books. What better way to change a child’s life...to promote literacy and the love and joy of reading!

Below is the MOST RECENT INFORMATION

DIRECT LINKS TO THE BOOKCASE AND RUG CAN BE FOUND AT THE BOOTOM OF THIS ARTICLE.

Creating Reading Corners in Laundromats to Boost
Early Literacy, Numeracy and Parent Engagement with Young Children
A Perfect Fit with Kiwanis’ “Young Children: Priority One”
One of the most powerful ways to promote early literacy and parent engagement with their young children is providing materials that encourage both in venues where parents spend time with their children. This idea is most effective in venues where parents need to go for regular chores, that are easily accessible and not intimidating, where there isn’t much stimulation available and where parents have significant “down time” that could be used for reading with young children.  A prime candidate for these venues are laundromats, and ReadyNation is partnering with the Coin Laundry Association (CLA) to set up these Reading Corners in neighborhoods that serve disadvantaged families.  

The interaction at these corners can promote not only basic literacy but also early math and science concepts that build different parts of the brain and complementary skill sets. Creating simple but attractive reading corners can help make the best use of these ordinary parts of the day to build both parental bonds and children’s skills.

These are also attractive for laundromats because they set them apart from other competitors, offer a resource for customers, demonstrate their involvement in the community and engage children at the venues in productive activities.  ReadyNation would also publicize their participation in social media.

Each corner would consist of an attractive book holder; a rug that promotes letters, numbers and geometric shapes (if space allows); and books that parents can use in the moment.  The wall around the station would be decorated with posters created by the CLA and Too Small to Fail specifically for laundromats, as well as materials from another organization, Read Aloud 15 MINUTES, that convey the importance of early reading. The CLA poster would include the Kiwanis logo and is available in English and Spanish.  From that basic foundation, sponsors could do more to if they desire, such as conducting story time sessions. Kiwanis members would be responsible for identifying a local laundromat, maintaining the site, and purchasing the supplies, including the initial set-up and replenishing new or gently used books.  Kiwanis and the laundromat are responsible for any liability coverage or issues.  ReadyNation will publicize the efforts with our website, e-newsletter and social media.





Process:

Kiwanis Clubs send Nancy Fishman at nfishman@readynation.org the Zip codes in which they wish to work.  ReadyNation will ask the Coin Laundry Association (CLA) if they have members in that Zip code.  If so, CLA will send contact information to ReadyNation.  ReadyNation then sends the Kiwanis member an initial kit consisting of:
CLA member information
Suggested text for outreach email
Introduction letter from CLA
One-page flyer describing roles

If the Kiwanis member doesn't get a response from an email, call and/or visit, Sara will ask CLA to contact the laundromat owner personally and encourage them to participate. 

If the CLA does not have members in your  Zip code, Kiwanis would contact the laundromat on their own.  You can get ownership information about a local laundromat at your TOWN CLERK’S OFFICE in order to communicate with the owner.

Once the Kiwanis member identifies a laundromat partner, ReadyNation will send a second kit:

Posters and sign asking that the books remain at the laundromat
Form to get permission to take photos and use them for publicity purposes

We strongly urge you not to order supplies until the laundromat has agreed. Kiwanis members are responsible for the costs of all supplies, including set-up and ongoing replenishment of books.   For consistency and quality, we ask that you order this book holder (2’ x 1’, about $30) and, if space allows, this rug (5’ x 6 1/2’ – optional if space is tight, about $55).  Both are available on Amazon.com (see links below).

You can get inexpensive new books several ways.  One of these is through www.FirstBook.org.  This organization sells new, quality books at very low cost – ordinarily you would need to be approved as an organization that serves disadvantaged children.  However, ReadyNation has an arrangement with them so that you just need to set up an account and in the field for “tell us about your program” note your partnership with ReadyNation.  

Other options recommended by other Kiwanis members are companies such as Reading Warehouse or Books-a-Million.  A monthly supply of books can cost from $0 to about $50.  Books must not have religious, political or controversial themes, should include math/science topics, and should feature diverse characters in terms of race, ethnicity, physical ability, etc. Sponsors can also get used books through donations from employees or civic groups, as well as purchased at thrift stores, libraries, etc.  The laundromat owner and Kiwanis are responsible for any liability coverage or issues.

The Kiwanis member should give the laundromat their contact information and plan to visit the laundromat about once per month to refresh the books.  The Kiwanis member should also take photos with people using the site (backs to the camera is fine) and share with ReadyNation for publicity purposes.   Please also send a copy of the completed permission form.

We ask Kiwanis members to use the basic (and inexpensive) supplies identified (book holder, rug, posters) because they have been reviewed and approved by CLA.  We also took care that the equipment is sturdy, takes up minimal space and is easy to care for.  Using consistent supplies will give the Reading Corners a polished and attractive look.  

We ask that the Kiwanis member let Nancy Fishmann at ReadyNation know how the partnership is progressing, alert her to any issues, and remember to send at least one photo to be used for publicity purposes by ReadyNation, Kiwanis and CLA.  Thank you!

Questions?
For ReadyNation:  Nancy Fishman nfishman@readynation.org
For Kiwanis: Kevin E. Thomas, District Executive Director, Pennsylvania District,  717-540-9300, Kevin@pakiwanis.org

"I own two laundromats that now have reading corners that ReadyNation and Kiwanis helped set up, and we're very pleased with them (and about to add a third).  They look great in our business, bringing life and energy to our rear café / community space.  The books are in constant use, with parents reading to their kids and kids reading on their own.  We are so grateful to you for giving prominence, organization and polished visibility to our grassroots attempt to promote early literacy with our customer families."     Brian Holland, Principal, The Laundry Cafe, Pennsylvania; President, Delaware Valley Coin Laundry Association

Direct links on Amazon:



Please contact me if you have questions, or if I can assist you in any way!

Sincerely,
Ava Adams, District Chair
Young Children Committee
New England and Bermuda District


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