- February 7, 2025
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If the Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia can raise $10,000, a Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program could soon be helping children in Port Orange with reading.
The nationwide library program mails books to registered children each month without charging families no matter their income. In Port Orange, the program would service children from birth to kindergarten on or before January 1, 2014.
If children enroll at birth they will receive 60 books in the mail by the time they go to Kindergarten.
According to the Educational Testing Services, students "who do more reading at home are better readers and have higher math scores."
The organization also reported that students with higher reading proficiencies had more types of reading materials in the home.
Locally, the program is overseen and fiscally managed by the Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia with the assistance of community partners.
The program is currently available to children in Daytona Beach and Holly Hill. The Coalition is in the process of fundraising to expand to Port Orange, DeLand and Ormond Beach next. According to Allison Miller, director of community partnerships with the Coalition, the ultimate goal is to have the program county wide.
So far, $6,500 has been raised. Once the needed amount of funds are raised, the program could be up and running immediately, according to Miller. She added that the goal is to have the program available for children to enroll by January 2018.
