Clark County Home and Community Educators Delivering Books Through Statewide Bookworms Program
Thursday, October 4th, 2018 -- 8:01 AM
-Home and Community Educators members have been busy delivering books to local Head Start and pre-school classrooms throughout Clark County.The HCE volunteers distribute the books, read to children in their classrooms and procure the funds to purchase the books as part of a statewide program known as Wisconsin Bookworms. The Clark County HCE bookworm coordinator, Diana Schuette, is a dedicated volunteer who obtains the funds through local grants and generous contributions. The Wisconsin Bookworm program was developed in an effort to provide free books to children who may not otherwise be able to own them. Wisconsin Bookworm promotes reading by giving preschool children the experience of having someone read to them. Families are involved through participating in literacy activities that promote additional reading at home. Since its beginning in 1998, the program has reached a total of 84,445 Wisconsin preschool-age children and 750,000 books have been purchased through the 2015-16 reading year. The program is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
The Wisconsin Association for Home and Community Education (WAHCE), a non-profit educational organization with members in 50 Wisconsin counties, plays a unique and vital role in the success of the Wisconsin Bookworm program. WAHCE’s goals include providing education that strengthens families and communities and building coalitions with organizations and agencies that have similar aims. Local WAHCE groups raise funds to cover the cost of books ($24 per set of eight books) for the Wisconsin Bookworms programs in their counties. This year 142 sets of books were distributed this year to Head Start children and local classrooms. Teachers, readers and families all agreed that the top two most important components of the Wisconsin Bookworm Project were being able to provide free new books in the home and having reading volunteers in the classroom.
Teachers reported that having HCE volunteers to share their love of reading with children and the opportunity for children to experience intergenerational relationships were key outcomes of the program. HCE in Clark County is providing a valuable service to the county in their participation and promotion of the Wisconsin Bookworm project. Children are given the opportunity to have new books and learn the love of reading from these dedicated volunteers. If you know a HCE member take the time to thank them for their hard work promoting early literacy in Clark County.
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