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The Terrebonne Foundation for Academic Excellence (TFAE) recently received a check for $10,000 from the Bayou Community Foundation, with all proceeds going towards improving local literacy through Terrebonne Parish’s Dolly Parton Imagination Library.
To date, TFAE has a current enrollment of 3,001 children in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, which encompasses almost 40% of Terrebonne Parish’s total eligible population– which is the second highest enrollment number in the state of Louisiana.
The Dolly Parton Imagination Library was started by the Terrebonne Parish Public Library in 2012, and is eligible for children ages birth-5. Participants receive an age-appropriate book in the mail each month, which helps promote literacy within the community.
“It is so important for our kids to have access to these literacy skills,” explained Ashlee Barahona with TFAE. “The Imagination Library gives them visibility and materials that help them develop their vocabulary before they even get to school. The sooner kids are learning new and different words through daily reading, the higher their school scores will be and the better prepared they will feel for the future.”
Barahona explained that having $10,000 towards the Imagination Library from the Bayou Community Foundation will be a huge help towards their mission. “The Bayou Community Foundation has been supporting us for nearly a decade,” said Barahona. “We will now be able to fund more children in the program, particularly focusing on pre-school aged kids who aren’t enrolled yet and fly under the radar.”
Barahona further wishes to thank, along with all of TFAE, the Terrebonne Parish Public Library for all the work it has done to build the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, as well as those who help support the program. “It isn’t a cheap program, and it’s only done with the help and support of those in the community.” Visit their official website to learn more about the program and how you can help sponsor a child’s literacy today.
