Ready, Set, Read!

Thrilled to see our advisory board member, Jen Nguyen, be honored by Salesforce as a Woman of Impact for her contributions to the community via Ready, Set, Read! and The Tiyya Foundation. So grateful to have you on our team, Jen, and cheering this well-deserved recognition!

Our participation in the National Book Access Association (NBAA) has been a meaningful source of connection and collaboration (and delight! see pic below) that informs and enhances our local impact. If you're a book access colleague who hasn't joined yet, now's a great time! The annual (virtual) conference is coming up soon on February 7th. Hope to see you there! https://lnkd.in/gwJGfxcD

Join us as we celebrate?25 years of providing children with abundant books that inspire joy, wonder, and learning—and the nurturing experience of reading with a beloved caregiver. We've launched our campaign https://conta.cc/3OLhrmS? to mark this milestone and sustain our work over the year ahead as we serve more than?10,000 of Los Angeles's littlest learners?and their families at 91 early education centers. Over the next few months, we will purchase and distribute visually captivating and bilingual stories from Barefoot Books that?celebrate diversity, spark curiosity, and capture children’s imaginations. To learn more about our campaign:?https://conta.cc/3OLhrmS?and to contribute:?https://lnkd.in/gVhDgZZT Thank you for your support of Ready, Set, Read!

Our local impact is bolstered through collaboration, thought partnership, and resource sharing with other organizations committed to book access and equity across the country. Proud to be a member of NBAA, and very grateful to the organizations and colleagues committed to working together to enhance our collective impact! Happy to chat with any other #bookaccess orgs in our midst if you have questions about the National Book Access Association (NBAA) and our experience as a member.

With endless gratitude for her contributions to Ready, Set, Read! during her 6 years of board service, we're thrilled to profile Joyce Sheu in our latest newsletter! Read on to discover what initially drew Joyce to Ready, Set, Read! and how the organization has changed in the years since then. You'll also get a peek into the books that ignited her love of reading as a child, and which book she picked up on vacation and couldn't put down. https://conta.cc/4cuhGvP #nonprofitmanagement #advisoryboard #boardservice #earlyliteracy

Will you help us shine a light on the importance of igniting literacy from birth? Our National Book Access Association (NBAA) and Diverse Books for All Coalition colleagues Kyle Zimmer and Ginger Young are hoping to head to SXSW Edu for a vital conversation about "equipping every family with the tools and support to build robust literacy." To cast your vote: Visit the?proposal page https://lnkd.in/ePYEE5U4 Sign in or create a free account. Vote by arrowing up (you can only vote once, so make it count!).

Delighted and affirmed to see so many of these takeaways are reflective of Ready, Set, Read!'s approach to impact! Thank you Early Learning Nation and Campaign for Grade-Level Reading for a great conversation and this readout on the importance of "celebrat[ing] the power and joy of diverse home libraries, literacy-rich environments, the brain-building benefits of language development, and the importance of reading to babies and toddlers." https://lnkd.in/giKGMb-Z

Looking forward to #GLRWeek next week! The programming is always informative and inspiring, and provides a chance to connect with colleagues across the country who are dedicated to early learning and literacy. Hoping to (virtually!) see many of our National Book Access Association (NBAA) friends there as well. Links to session descriptions and registration, below!

The Right to Read is now available to stream via Apple TV+,?Prime Video,?Google Play,?Kanopy,?VUDU, and?YouTube. "The Right to Read shares the stories of an NAACP activist, a teacher, and two American families who fight to provide our youngest generation with the most foundational indicator of life-long success: the ability to read." Hope you'll add this eye-opening and impactful film from LeVar Burton and Jenny Mackenzie to your must-watch list! https://lnkd.in/d55bVb66 #LiteracyIsFreedom

?? Hey LA - Family fun event this weekend! ?? I am on the board of a great non-profit organization, Ready, Set, Read! and we are hosting our first annual Stories On Tap event this weekend at Common Space Brewery in Hawthorne. This event for the whole family will include an awesome lineup of author-led story times ?? , arts & crafts ?? , raffles with cool prizes and giveaways ?? , beers ?? , food trucks ?? , music ?? , and more! All proceeds go to support our efforts to provide early literacy programs across Los Angeles. Wanna join us? RSVP here: https://lnkd.in/d5cgcPrY Can't join but want to contribute to this great cause? Donate now:https://lnkd.in/dBwKZRPN I hope to see many of you on Saturday!