Audioconference to focus on promoting early literacy through Mayors' Book Clubs.

A free, upcoming audioconference sponsored by NLC's Institute for Youth, Education, and Families (YEF Institute) will highlight Mayors' Book Clubs that support early literacy by encouraging children and families to read together. "It Takes a Village: Using Mayors' Book Clubs to Promote Early Literacy" will take place on Thursday, May 15 at 4 p.m. Eastern Time.

To register for this free, hour-long call, visit www.nlc.org/iyef.

Promoting early literacy is one way to ensure that young children enter school prepared to succeed. Mayors' Book Clubs have emerged as a unique city strategy to raise awareness of the importance of early literacy, encourage parents to read to their children and increase the likelihood that children grow up in an environment where books are available and literacy is valued.

Cities Encourage Reading

In 2004, Jacksonville, Fla., Mayor John Peyton launched a citywide book club to help prepare all 4-year-olds in Duval County to begin kindergarten the following year. Each child receives a backpack full of reading resources and a series of books written specifically for children in Jacksonville that focus on different parts of the city. The books also contain parent pages that provide strategies and games for helping children learn literacy skills. The book club is part of Rally Jacksonville!, a citywide initiative to improve literacy.

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Former Longmont, Colo., Mayor Julia Pirnack established a Mayor's Book Club one year ago to encourage 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds and their parents to read a new book together every month. Each child who enrolls in the program receives a backpack, a T-shirt, a special library card and one book per month. Pirnack also appeared on the local public access television channel to read a book of the month to children.

Charleston, S.C., Mayor Joseph R Riley Jr. launched a Born to Read Initiative two years ago that provides "welcome baby" kits to help new parents understand the importance of reading to their newborn children. The city also incorporated a Mayor's Book Club into its Countdown to Kindergarten Initiative, and has partnered with Barnes & Noble, Trident United Way, a local radio station and a local television station to give parents of 4-year-olds a school calendar, one book per month and a set of learning activities that parents can carry out at home.

Call Content

Local elected officials, senior municipal staff and a representative of the National Family Literacy Center, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of family learning and literacy services, will discuss their involvement in Mayors' Book Clubs and other visibility efforts for promoting child and family literacy.

How to Register

While the call is free, it is available only to a limited number of participants. Advance registration is required by close of business on Tuesday, May 13. A separate registration is needed for each phone line that will be used to listen to the call.

To register, visit www.nlc.org/iyef. No phone registrations can be accepted. One day prior to the event, each registrant will receive an e-mail or fax message providing a toll-free, dial-in number to use in joining the audioconference.

Details: To ask questions about the audioconference, leave a detailed message on the YEF Institute information line at (202) 626-3014. For more information about Mayors' Book Clubs and other efforts to support early literacy, contact Tonja Rucker at (202) 626-3004 or rucker@nlc.org.