Published at 18:09 Friday, July 15, 2022
The Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) recently awarded 21,020 children’s books to 46 organizations as part of its Early Literacy Grant Program. This grant supports early reading and writing activities that increase the school readiness of children up to the age of eight by providing children with books.
The books were awarded in collaboration with Capstone and ABDO, publishers of children’s books and Mankato-based digital products and services. In 2002, Capstone helped launch BookStart by partnering with SMIF to distribute thousands of children’s books in the region over a 15-year period. In 2018, the Early Literacy Grant was created as a new collaborative effort between SMIF and the two publishers to donate even more books to children from birth to eight years old. SMIF previously worked with both companies to jointly distribute over 100,000 books across the region through donations and programs.
The area groups in our region that received the books are:
• Blooming Prairie Primary School
• Christmas in the cities of Adams and Taopi
• Kiwanis clubs in southern Minnesota
• Leo Augusta Children’s Academy in Blooming Prairie
• Southern Minnesota Learning Consortium in Grand Meadow
“Getting books into the hands of young children fuels their development through language, reading and more,” said Rae Jean Hansen, SMIF vice president of early childhood.
“Our long-term partnership with Capstone and ABDO is critical to our efforts to provide parents and children with the support they need to prepare for school.”
Laureates were given a selection of titles donated by publishing houses, including bilingual and early childhood books. Organizations will include books in their programs and events where young children will be given books to take home and keep
