This year promises a lot of exciting enhancements to BookSpring’s research-based and time-proven efforts to increase the love of reading in young children and their families.
First, we’re pleased to announce the creation of three new positions: BookSpringRx Director, BookSpringEd Director, and BookSpringGo Director, being filled by Cynthia Ivey, Wayne Holstine, and Mariela Rodriguez, respectively. They will be responsible for overseeing all programs focusing on building home libraries and increasing reading and reading aloud activities in young children and their families through education, healthcare, and community.
These three program areas reflect the continuum of early literacy strategies that BookSpring offers, which have grown out of the best practices of many different reading programs offered both locally and nationwide.
BookSpringRx includes ReadWell and our Pediatric Literacy Kit program, which aims to improve early brain development by providing access to books and the engagement of families with young children age five and younger through their primary care providers.
BookSpringEd includes Books for Me, Read for Success, and the Parent Book Club, which aims to improve language arts skills and abilities and the motivation to read in children from pre-kindergarten to elementary ages, through educational partners across Central Texas.
BookSpringGo includes ReBook, Read-A-Thon, and our Community of Readers program. It also includes all other initiatives designed to supply at least three books per year to 80,000 homes in Central Texas. This will ensure home libraries, of at least 20 books, for children by the time they are in third grade.
Finally, we’re pleased to announce that Jill Gonzalez has taken on the role of Associate Director. As such, she will be second-in-command in all aspects of BookSpring, from programs to finance to development.
These developments, together with plans for expanded space at our Greenbook Parkway location to make room for more books, and a new (or gently used) cargo van to help us reach even more local partners (you can contribute now through Amplify Austin!), means that BookSpring is making strides to reach out to every low-income family with some extra help to instill a lifelong habit of reading in their children, leading to open minds, hearts, and doors for a better future for all.
