
Schuyler, NE- Nebraska Growing Readers (NGR) began in the fall of 2023 as a partnership designed to bring more books into the homes of families with young children, particularly in areas of the state where free access to books wasn’t as readily available. Schuyler has been one of the pilot communities that has embraced the programs NGR has to offer. In the short time NGR has been available, Schuyler has:
- Launched the first Community Book Garden in the state—Book Gardens provide stands in the community where free books are available to families. Schuyler piloted the program, offering 5 book stands.
- Registered 3 local early childhood providers and 3 Sixpence home visitors who provide free books to the families they serve.
- Registered 45 incoming kindergarten students to receive 4 free books per week for up to 25 weeks.
- Conducted a writers’ workshop where 12 local storytellers learned how to write books for the program. Four books on local topics have already been published and 3 more will be available soon.
- Provided copies of books in Spanish and availability to the NGR website where books can be heard in multiple languages.
NGR invites the Schuyler community to access free books in Spanish and English at the five Schuyler Book Stand locations:
Schuyler Public Library- 108 E 18th St
CHI Health Schuyler Clinic- 104 W 17th St
WIC in East Central District Health Department- 316 E 11th St
The African Store- 324 E 12th St
Soak 3 Times Laundromat- 218 E 16th St
Families anywhere can also access the digital library for free. Books are available to read in Spanish and English, and there is narration in up to 50 other languages. To change the written language, click the pencil icon. To change the narration language, click the globe icon. The digital library is available at https://www.uniteforliteracy.com/ngr/library
The NGR work in Schuyler has largely been made possible by the work of Kim Parsons, who is a local resident, Library Board of Trustees member, and C4K Early Childhood Coordinator. The program represents a partnership between the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation (Sixpence acting as lead), the Nebraska Department of Education, Unite for Literacy, the Columbus area United Way, and the Community Family Partnership.
Learn more about Nebraska Growing Readers by visiting NebraskaGrowingReaders.org. Highlights of the Statewide NGR Initiative
- 1,053 childcare providers registered
- 3,072 Kindergartners enrolled
- 34,545 Nebraska children receiving books
- 900,000 books to be distributed in Nebraska in2024
- NGR offers a free online digital library on their website, where anyone can access Nebraska-related content written by local authors, as well as a full library of other books for children that can be heard read aloud in over 50 languages (for books that have been translated). https://www.uniteforliteracy.com/ngr/library
“Leer libros es uno de los mejores regalos que les podemos dar a nuestros hijos para que tengan éxito en la escuela y en la vida. Es la llave a la puerta del aprendizaje, creatividad e imaginación. Cualquier momento es bueno para leer libros. No hay una manera correcta o incorrecta de leer. Lo importante es compartir ese momento con nuestros hijos. Somos afortunados de tener a Nebraska Growing Readers en Schuyler, tener libros gratis es un recurso que todos tenemos que aprovechar”
–Paola Acosta, Schuyler Sixpence Home Visitor
“It’s great to see that we’re engaging in our children’s futures. There’s no better way to grow your community than to start with your children.”
–Art Lindberg, Schuyler Mayor
“I’ve been to community-based projects all around the country, and I’ve never seen a community get behind a project, take ownership, and bring it to life like this. It’s really special to see.”
–Nick McGuffee, Unite for Literacy (about Schuyler’s engagement with NGR)
“When you get a good strong core team who have connections within the community, good things happen.”
–Kim Parsons, Schuyler Library Board of Trustees