Students will help secure sustainable funding for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program for Wayne County.
Thanks to the vision of music icon Dolly Parton, Wayne State College education students are making a positive impact on the lives of children throughout Wayne County.
Wayne State’s chapter of the Nebraska State Education Association’s (NSEA) Aspiring Educators will lead the fundraising and marketing initiatives for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program for Wayne County. Through this work, students will collaborate directly with community members, local businesses, school districts, and service organizations throughout Wayne County to help secure sustainable funding for the program.
“These efforts will provide valuable opportunities for students to strengthen their leadership abilities while further developing their skills in strategic planning, communication, and community engagement,” said Dr. Kim Snyder, assistant professor of education at Wayne State. “Research consistently demonstrates a strong connection between literacy and long-term success, making it essential that we work together to provide young people in our county with meaningful access to books and reading opportunities.”
“Wayne State’s Department of Educational Foundations and Leadership has earned a reputation for excellence, rooted in its longstanding commitment to building strong partnerships within the Wayne community and with school districts throughout Wayne County and beyond,” continued Snyder. “Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library fosters a deeply connected partnership across Wayne County by bringing together service organizations, local businesses, community libraries, and the families the program is designed to support. Wayne State education instructors and students are proud to champion this initiative and remain committed to the lasting benefits it will provide for the children and families of Wayne County.”
About Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
Dolly Parton launched the Imagination Library in 1995 to foster an early love of reading and learning in her hometown of Sevier County, Tenn. The Imagination Library has since become the highest quality, most recognizable and most effective book gifting resource in the world. Policymakers, funders, early childhood organizations and families trust the Imagination Library to inspire a love of reading among children of all ages.
This premier program mails free high-quality, age-appropriate books to registered children every month from birth to age 5. Children enrolled from birth receive 60 books by the time they graduate from the Imagination Library program. The Dollywood Foundation covers overhead costs and negotiates wholesale pricing for the books, while local community partners fundraise to cover the cost of mailing and decided-upon wholesale book prices.
"These experiences will give students meaningful opportunities to enhance their leadership abilities while continuing to build their skills in strategic planning, communication, and community engagement,” said Abbie Baack, instructor of education at Wayne State and advisor for NSEA Aspiring Educators. “The Aspiring Educators group is enthusiastic about the opportunity to visit children in the program and read with them as a way to further strengthen relationships throughout Wayne County.”
Parents who want to register their children for the Imagination Library program can do so by visiting the Imagination Library website and selecting “Check Availability.”
Persons wishing to support Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Wayne County may make a donation online through The Dollywood Foundation website by selecting “United States” and choosing the affiliate designation code “NE-Wayne” to ensure gifts are directed locally.
Donations may also be made by check payable to The Dollywood Foundation and mailed to: Wayne State College Foundation, 1111 Main Street, Wayne, NE, 68787.
To ensure donations are directed to the Wayne County account, donors should write “Wayne County Nebraska Fund” in the memo line of the check.
For more information, contact Dr. Kim Snyder, assistant professor of education at Wayne State, at [email protected], or Abbie Baack, instructor of education at Wayne State, at [email protected].
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library highlights
More than 300 million free books have been gifted since the program’s inception in 1995. The Imagination Library operates in five countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and Republic of Ireland, and there are currently 22 statewide programs in the United States. Braille and bilingual books are included in the U.S. book selections. More than 3 million free books are gifted each month to children around the world.