Working through Existing Infrastructures
The program understands that they can reach families effectively through existing infrastructures where families already have long-standing relationships with trusted advisers.
Our programs succeed by working in partnership with early childhood program and elementary school staff that have long-standing relationships with low-income families, and are therefore able to inspire parents to travel outside their communities to access cultural and educational opportunities for their children’s development. |
Cool Culture works with early childhood educators and elementary school staff who already have long-standing relationships with low-income families. Families already trust EC educators. As Cool Cultural Liaisons, the EC educators inspire parents to participate in the Cool Culture program and bring their children to as many of the 90 participating museums, botanical gardens and zoos as possible.
The Cool Culture Cultural Liaison Handbook outlines the Cultural Liaisons':
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WIC Offices
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Core Program: Five Anchor Behaviors
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Reach Out and Read uses the existing framework of annual visits to the pediatrician to get their early literacy message to low-income parents and to get books in the hands of children.
From Reach Out and Read: The Evidence "Parents participating in Reach Out and Read were more likely to rate their child’s pediatrician as helpful than those not participating in Reach Out and Read. Pediatricians in the Reach Out and Read group were more likely to rate parents as receptive than those in the non-Reach Out and Read group. Mothers in the Reach Out and Read group were two times more likely to report enjoyment in reading together with their child than those in the non-Reach Out and Read group." (Jones et al, 2000) |
The Ready to Read Corps works with WIC offices, food pantries, churches, hospitals and benefits offices to engage parents and caregivers in places they already visit. They visit organizations where the parents and caregivers will already have waiting room time such as a food pantry, primary care clinic, Women’s Care Center, Free Store, and Opportunity Center.
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Working with Early Childhood Professionals
From Borrowing Kits Ready to Read Tubs and Read to Me at Home Tubs can only be borrowed by Alaskan agencies and professionals who serve young children and their caregivers, such as (but not limited to) child care centers, licensed family child care providers, early childhood education agencies, libraries, health clinics, and faith-based organizations. Lapsit Bags and Read With Me Bags can be borrowed by any Alaskan resident. |