Articles tagged Year of the Book
Last week, JFK Elementary School English Language Learners spent a beautiful fall day at the Clemmons Family Farm in Charlotte, VT, listening to stories, making bean pies, and learning about African American art and culture. This special field trip was a memorable experience for these kids, who come from all over the world and are … Continued
For the past 20 years, Duncan McDougall has successfully been raising funds (while telling stories to LOTS of kids) to support CLiF’s continued growth. We asked him to share his technique for fundraising and grant writing with our Year of the Book teachers at a past Community Literacy Conference. These tips are meant for beginner … Continued
As schools, libraries, afterschool programs, and preschools ramp up for fall, we wanted to share some low-cost literacy program ideas that CLiF partners generated last year. Many of our grants now include an additional program component. The ideas listed here came from these CLiF opportunities: Last winter, CLiF added a $500 Revive grant to any … Continued
Annually, CLiF invites past, present, and recently-accepted Year of the Book partners to attend the CLiF Community Literacy Conference. The main goal of the conference is to connect teachers, librarians, and administrators with ideas for making their Year of the Book fun and for continuing the momentum the grant generates. This year’s conference agenda included sessions on diversity … Continued
How will you spend April 19, 2018? Maybe you will celebrate National Bicycle Day (we wish we could!), National D.A.R.E Day, or National Garlic Day. At CLiF, we will celebrate a big day of bringing kids together with books, community, authors/illustrators/storytellers, and having fun in school, the library, or at another favorite out-of-school-time place. So, … Continued
We’re a little more than halfway through the school year, and, for ten schools in Vermont and New Hampshire this year, the CLiF Year of the Book, which promotes a celebration of reading and writing all year long. As we welcome National Reading Month, which kicks off with Read Across America Day on March 2nd (beloved … Continued
Question: Why is Marty Kelley, (right) author of the book Ladybug Award nominee Albert’s Amazing Almost Adventure and Almost Everyone Farts, reading The Organic Gardener’s Home Reference to elementary aged children? Answer: He read it to train them how to share books with others. Belmont Elementary School (BES) invited Marty to “train” their K-4th graders … Continued
Vermont has suffered through a rainy early summer. One rainy Saturday, I had a perfectly planned visit to the paint-your-own-pottery studio. My daughter and her friend had exchanged gift certificates for birthday presents; we spent the car ride analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of painting one big thing versus painting a few small items. Excitement … Continued
Once a year, the CLiF Staff and Board of Directors get together to discuss what CLiF has done over the past year, what’s coming up, and to enjoy dinner together while taking a breather from our busy, busy lives. That happened at CLiF World HQ on Monday, and this year, we had a lot to … Continued
Last night, CLiF staff, board members, past grantees and volunteers joined more than 50 folks from the Monadnock region of New Hampshire at the Mariposa Museum & World Cultures Center in Peterborough, NH to celebrate literacy and learn more about CLiF’s work promoting a love of reading and writing across the region. We all had … Continued
CLiF runs more than 500 literacy events, gives away $550,000 in children’s books, and serves thousands of children each year to nurture a love of reading and writing among low-income, at-risk, and rural kids (up to age 12) in Vermont and Hampshire. But how do we do it? With a little elbow grease and a … Continued
Is there anything funnier than the third grade recorder concert? My daughter’s third grade recorder concert came the day after the CLiF Community Literacy Conference – a full day for our small staff running a conference for 130 Year of the Book teachers, librarians, and school staff. I am not sure what came over me, … Continued
In 2015, CLiF received a grant from the Canaday Family Charitable Trust to study whether schools that had received a Year of the Book Grant (YOB) were able to sustain their momentum around literacy once the grant ended. CLiF contracted with Evergreen Evaluation and Consulting, Inc. (EEC) to conduct an external evaluation that addressed the following questions: How … Continued
July 4th has come and gone, but during the holiday, NBC reported Americans celebrated by: Traveling: 43 million Americans traveled this Independence Day weekend. This represents the highest fourth of July travel volume on record. Eating: approximately 150 million hot dogs were consumed as 64% of Americans attended a barbeque or picnic, according to Wallethub. Shopping: the National Retail … Continued
The Lake was placid, but a momentary commotion caused by a pair of loons who swooped down to breach the glass surface sent a wave of mirrored ripples across the lake. After the loons silent glide, they dove under the water for food, and all was calm again. Serenity. Despite the distraction of the amazing … Continued
What do skiing, books, and microcontrollers all have in common? The CLiF Community Literacy Conference, of course! In all honesty, the skiing was only a background as attendees sat slopeside in the conference room at The Mountain Club on Loon. While the spring skiers glided past the window, teachers, principals, librarians, and other eager past, … Continued
Everyone has a story worth telling.
I love this season. I love that so many cultures have holidays this time of year, when it’s cold and the nights are darkest and we’re most in need of shared light and warmth. It’s hard to pick a favorite CLiF event, but our holiday family events for Year of the Book communities are right up … Continued
CLiF has served over 350,000 children since 1998.