No Dumb Blonde
Dolly Parton Champions Child Literacy Through Imagination Library
Considering that our team members are huge proponents of the written word, we were thrilled to learn about a terrific literacy program - helmed by none other than iconic singer Dolly Parton.
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, part of The Dollywood Foundation, mails free, high-quality books to children from birth until they enroll in school, no matter the family's financial status.
Parton launched the program in 1995 to serve the children of Sevier County, Tennessee, where she grew up. But, by 2000, the Imagination Library had gone nationwide; and, by 2003, it had mailed 1 million books.
"Inspiring kids to love to read became my mission," Parton writes on the program's website. "In the beginning, my hope was simply to inspire the children in my home county, but here we are today with a worldwide program that gives a book a month to well over 1 million children."
The program has since expanded to Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia; added braille and audio books to its offerings; and earned scores of accolades, including the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval and the Best Practices award from the Library of Congress Literacy Awards.
Visit imaginationlibrary.com.