Support Early Literacy in Colorado

This is my fifth Colorado Gives Day and I can't imagine a world where I'm not passionately talking about why our work matters. 

Not only does access to books matter, but it is also what is inside the book that matters. The illustrations on the pages catch children's eyes and stick with them. Imagine if a boy with glasses never saw a character wearing the same? Or, what if a young girl begins wearing her hijab but has never seen one on the pages of a book? Or, what if a young Black boy reads books that rarely ever show characters like himself on the pages?

This leads us to the idea of windows and mirrors...

Books, like mirrors, reflect what children know about the world they live in. It’s powerful for children to read books about people they can relate to. This is why simply adding glasses to a young boy in a book means more than many of us understand. 

Books also allow children to view and understand lives different from their own, like a window into a new world. If children read books and see characters in hijabs, they will be that much more aware and inclusive when they see the same of a classmate at school. 

Won't you join me in supporting Reach Out and Read Colorado this Colorado Gives Day?

Your donation will help support Reach Out and Read Colorado as we partner with pediatricians throughout the state to 'prescribe' high quality books, often inclusive books mentioned above, and provide guidance for parents/caregivers at more than 300,000 well-child visits this year. 

Reach Out and Read Colorado’s program not only provides underserved families with books to build home libraries, but it also promotes learning and skill building for both parents and children. The simple act of unplugging and reading a book together is proven to increase brain and language development, create strong parent-child connections, and improve kindergarten readiness— And when a child is set up for success from an early age, the possibilities and opportunities are endless!

Thank you so much for considering a donation to Reach Out and Read Colorado during Colorado Gives Day! Your support means so much to children across Colorado.

-Jessie