STEAM to Go! Phonics Kits
Southwest Georgia Regional Library Receives $3,150 from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation
Grant Aims to Support Local Youth Literacy
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation recently awarded Southwest Georgia Regional Library and Decatur County-Gilbert H. Gragg Library Foundation, Inc. a $3,150 grant to support its youth literacy efforts. The funding is part of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation’s recent award of nearly $2.6 million across the country to support more than 300,000 students attending more than 600 schools, libraries and nonprofit organizations in the communities Dollar General calls home.
“This is the second year that we have been fortunate to receive the Youth Literacy Grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation,” states Susan S. Whittle, executive director of SWGRL. “These funds allowed our library system to purchase 24 Penworthy STEAM to Go kits that focus on phonics and reading basics, plus give important bonding time between child and caregiver.”
Penworthy STEAM to Go kits are hands-on, interactive learning that help with developing key literacy skills. The kits check out for 14 days at a time and have specific themes. For the youngest, there is a Tot Time Game Night kit for ages 3 and up that teach preschool skills. While the oldest child up to 3rd grade may want to play with the Starting to Spell kit to make words out of puzzles.
“We are proud to award these grants to literacy and education programs across the country and support their meaningful work of expanding children’s joy of reading and creating a foundation for future educational growth,” shared Denine Torr, executive director of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. “We are excited to make a difference in thousands of students’ lives through these donations and look forward to making more positive impacts as we celebrate the Foundation’s 30th anniversary year.”
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation supports organizations that increase access to educational programming, stimulate and enable innovation in the delivery of educational instruction and inspire a love of reading. Each year, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation awards funds to nonprofit organizations, schools, and libraries within a 15-mile radius of a Dollar General store or distribution center to support adult, family, summer, and youth literacy programs. The Foundation also offers a student referral program for individuals interested in learning how to read, speak English, or prepare for the high school equivalency exam. Referrals to a local organization that provides free literacy services are available online at dgliteracy.org or through referral cards found in the Learn to Read brochures that are available at the cash register of every Dollar General store.
About the Decatur County-Gilbert H. Gragg Library Foundation, Inc.
The Decatur County-Gilbert H. Gragg Library Foundation is a non-profit organization not affiliated with county government since 1991. We are governed by a board of directors. The foundation strives to fully develop the potential of the public library through financial support from the private sector, to increase awareness and use of the library, and thereby endow future generations with a broad range of intellectual resources.
About the Dollar General Literacy Foundation
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation is proud to support initiatives that help others improve their lives through literacy and education. Since 1993, the Foundation has awarded more than $238 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping more than 19.6 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy, a general education diploma or English proficiency. Each year, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation provides financial support to schools, nonprofit organizations and libraries within a 15-mile radius of Dollar General stores and distribution centers. To learn more about the Dollar General Literacy Foundation or apply for a literacy grant, visit www.dgliteracy.org.