Marian Regional Medical Center partners with United Way to bring the community ‘Literacy 2.0’
SANTA MARIA, Calif. - Parents will have access to a new literacy program at Marian Medical Center in Santa Maria.
In 1995, country music singer Dolly Parton founded the ‘Imagination Library’ to help kids where she grew up in Tennessee.
It has now made its way to Santa Maria.
United Way, a global non-profit network for community action, has entered into a groundbreaking partnership with Marian Regional Medical Center to bring local families a new service.
“We’re talking about Literacy 2.0, and the three components that we're introducing in partnership with Marion Regional Medical Center,” says Eddie Taylor, CEO, North Santa Barbara County United Way.
Powered by Dolly Parton's ‘Imagination Library,’ Literacy 2.0 is not just about reading and writing, but also about financial literacy.
“It really instilled this passion that I have now for reading and writing.It's something I would do in my free time, not just for assignments. And I think that's important to develop,” says Primavera Rosales, an Imagination Library participant.
At no cost to the participants, the program will send books in English or Spanish that promote essential life skills including saving and investing money, to children ages 0-5.
“I think if we asked anybody in the area, okay, within sound of my voice, did you get financial literacy training when you were in school? Everybody shaking their heads. We feel that this is an imperative,” says Taylor.
United Way says their approach is "scaffolded," and that once participating kids reach the age of first grade, higher tiers of learning will be offered.
“When they go through our curriculum, they complete it. Then there's a savings challenge. If they save a certain amount of money, then we match that certain amount of money, and then we continue to do that again until they're 18 years old,” says Taylor.
Literacy 2.0 is available to the wider community, and the partnership ensures any child born at Marian gets access to the program.
Leaders of United Way tell me their curriculum could eventually set participants up for a handsome retirement beginning from birth.
For more information about United Way, you can check them out here. For an instructional video on how to enroll in Literacy 2.0, click here.
