Fletcher Free Library Youth Services
The library provides reading, reference and audio-visual materials to Burlington youth.  Their America Reads project includes regularly scheduled story times and sing-alongs, as well as special literacy events.  They are also expanding community outreach by making library materials available to home day care providers, and reading programs for families with young children who speak English as an other language.
Site: Burlington. 

Burlington Literacy Project
The Burlington Literacy Project is helping to ensure that Burlington is a community in which every resident can read, write, and compute for personal fulfillment and effective participation.  Its America Reads focus is to raise community awareness about literacy resources and issues, work with media and businesses to support and promote America Reads projects and help develop technology tools for literacy.
Site: Burlington 

Tri County Foster Grandparent Program
This program places volunteers 60 years and older, recruited for America Reads, to be reading partners at eight Head Start sites in Chittenden and Franklin counties.  The Foster Grandparents help children develop early literacy skills, so that they will be ready to learn when they enter kindergarten.
Site: Burlington, serving Chittenden and Franklin counties.
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University of Vermont
UVM's America Reads program recruits and trains students to work one on one with preschool through third grade children, with special focus on children who are having tousle learning to read and write.  The program targets schools serving low income families, and families who speak English as an other language.
Site: Burlington, serving the Greater Burlington area.
Link me to UVM's America Reads home page.

Vermont Center for the Book
The Center for the Book's America Reads project, "Reach Out and Read," is a pediatric early literacy program in which participating health providers give children a beautiful, new book at every well-child visit and encourage parents to read aloud with their children.  The program also trains volunteers to model reading aloud in clinic waiting rooms.
Site: Chester

Very Special Arts Vermont
VSAVT is a state-wide organization committed to bringing the power of art to Vermonters of all abilities.  Their America Reads project, "Start with the Arts," is an art based literacy program for preschoolers that uses movement, music, drama, and visual arts to create a lifelong love of reading.  The project also supports parents and families through take-home activity books.
Site: Burlington, serving Chittenden and Franklin counties.
Back to Main List H.O. Wheeler & Peacham Elementary Schools
These two schools, one in Burlington's Old North End and one in rural North East Kingdom, are launching an America Reads effort to create, rejuvenate and expand community literacy programs based in their schools.  Projects might include book groups for parents, homework clubs, volunteer literacy programs and family literacy evenings.  Programs targeting families speaking English as an other language will also be developed.
Sites: Burlington and Peacham. 

Parent Child Centers
The Centers provide support and education to families to ensure all young children get off to the right start, with the opportunity to grow up healthy, happy and productive.  Their America Reads projects include family literacy efforts (such as a lending library and play groups), collaborations with area schools, support group, parenting education, and information and referral.
Sites: Addison County Parent Child Center, Middlebury;  Visiting Nurse Assoc. Wheeler Family Room, Burlington; Lund Family Center, Burlington. 

Retired Senior Volunteer Program
RSVP's America Reads program recruits and trains volunteers 55 years and older as reading partners with children in grades K-3.  Through reading, listening, and practice, volunteers provide the additional support needed to encourage the ongoing development of literacy.  Each volunteer meets with one child, once a week.  Individual RSVP offices offer special programs such as helping children make their own books, or poetry for children.
Sites: North East Kingdom; Central Vermont; Rutland; Chittenden County; Windsor County; Bennington; Brattleboro.
Back to Main List Success by Six
Success by Six is a state-wide network, organized by counties, of people and programs that work to enhance the ability of families and communities to protect, educate, and support the development of children, recognizing parents as the first and most important teacher of the child.  Their America Reads project includes programs like "Mother Goose" and "Families, Books, Computers and Fun" as well as distributing "Baby Packets" to all newborns through the hospital, and organizing "Welcome Baby" visits, book giveaways, visits to child care providers, volunteer readers at WIC (Women Infants and Children) clinics, play groups and providing information and referral to parents.
Sites: Franklin County; Chittenden County; Orleans County; Rutland County; Addison County.

Vermont State Colleges
The Vermont State Colleges America Reads program trains work study students and volunteers to be Reading Partners, who encourage children to read, organize book related activities, and generally help children improve reading skills.  The Reading Partners go into classrooms to work with children one-on-one or in small groups.  They are not tutors; rather they work with the children to encourage love of reading.
Sites: Castleton State College, Castleton; Johnson State College, Johnson;  Chancellor's Office (CCV), Waterbury.
Link me to Vermont State Colleges America Reads home page.

Vermont Adult Learning
VAL's America project is a family literacy model, developing links between adult education and home literacy practices.  The projects are diverse: they range from partnering with RSVP to train and place adult creative writing students in day care centers to modifying "Mother Goose" for families who speak English as an other language.
Sites: Chittenden County, Windham County
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