On Wednesday, February 4, 2026, City’s First Readers (CFR) joined readers around the globe to commemorate one of our favorite days of the year, World Read Aloud Day (WRAD). WRAD started in 2010 and is celebrated annually on the first Wednesday in February. This monumental reading movement includes over 170 countries and 90 million people and grows each year!   This year’s celebration was our biggest yet, a virtual bilingual program entitled Canta con Migo (Sing with Me) with a special guest author, the Emmy-nominated storyteller and founder of Encantos, Susie Jaramillo. All who registered received a free copy of…

New York, NY — City’s First Readers (CFR), the New York City Council’s only early literacy initiative, applauds Speaker Julie Menin and City Council leadership for elevating early childhood education through new committee and subcommittee appointments. “I am so pleased to see Speaker Menin recognize the importance of a child’s earliest years by establishing a Subcommittee on Early Childhood Education within the Committee on Education,” said Emmanuel Novy, Chief of Strategic Initiatives at Literacy in Community (LINC) and facilitating partner for City’s First Readers. “If we are serious about improving literacy outcomes, we must start early. We are excited to continue working with…

New York, NY — As Speaker Julie Menin announces her appointments to City Council leadership teams and committees, Literacy in Community (LINC) extends its congratulations to Council Members serving neighborhoods where LINC provides early literacy programs in partnership with families and community organizations. LINC looks forward to continuing its collaboration with Eric Dinowitz, Chair of the Committee on Education, and welcomes the creation of a Subcommittee on Early Childhood Education, to be chaired by Jenifer Gutiérrez. LINC also congratulates Shaun Abreu, Kamala Hanks, Elsie Encarnacion, and Chris Banks, whose constituents are eager and active participants in LINC’s early literacy programs across the city.…

Universal Childcare Is NYC’s Next Big Leap — But Literacy Must Be the System’s Heart By Antonio Reynoso, Shari Levine & Eliana Godoy  New Yorkers agree: universal childcare is core to building a city we can afford. This is not just the opinion of the more than one million New Yorkers who voted to elect Zohran Mamdani for mayor – it is the majority opinion of New York State residents who support the Mayor’s vision of giving parents the opportunity to work and lowering childcare costs for their kids. Now that Governor Hochul announced that New York State will begin funding…

Experts share age-by-age book picks to help kids fall in love with reading Literacy in Community (LINC) wants every family to know the joy and power of reading, and on Saturday, December 20, Good Morning America amplified our message by inviting Literacy in Community’s (LINC) Chief Program Officer, Laura Walsh on the show. Laura passionately described LINC’s mission to provide free books, early literacy programs, and opportunities for parents to learn how best to help their children build strong language and literacy foundations – so they enter kindergarten confident and ready to learn. Laura’s three book recommendations for Good Morning America included:…

Literacy in Community (LINC) is thrilled to announce that we have joined the Campaign for Equitable Education Funding (CEEF). CEEF advocates on both the city and state levels for the resources that our children need. CEEF membership includes 120 advocacy organizations, civil rights organizations, social service providers, and groups representing students, parents, and educators.  Right now CEEF is focused on two very important issues: the state’s Foundation Aid formula for NYC needs to be updated; and a number of city programs funded for FY26 (this budget year) are at risk for next year.  Please join LINC in sharing an op-ed urging the…

Literacy in Community (LINC) congratulates Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani on his victory and his bold commitment to making universal child care a reality for New York City families. His focus on supporting caregivers and strengthening the city’s affordability addresses the urgent needs of communities across the five boroughs. We are especially energized by what this moment can mean for our youngest New Yorkers. Universal child care presents an extraordinary opportunity—not only to help parents return to work, but also to ensure that children from birth have access to the early learning experiences that shape their futures. Integrating early literacy into universal…

On Tuesday, November 11, at Gotham Hill, Literacy in Community (LINC) was the proud Official Charity Partner for the TLC Lions 2025 Human Awards Americas. TLC Lions is a global firm that helps organizations build workplaces rooted in empathy, authenticity, and humanity. At the TLC Lions Human Awards event on November 11th in NYC, TLC Lions shone a spotlight on individuals and organizations redefining leadership—grounded in purpose, courage, and above all, being human. Literacy starts at birth and children who develop early literacy skills have greater academic and lifelong success. LINC’s Executive Director Shari Levine compellingly addressed the crowded room, sharing…

Last week, LINC’s Chief Program Officer, Laura Walsh, Chief of Advocacy and Community Mobilization, Albania Jimenez, and Neighborhood Manager for The Bronx, Arisbel Villa joined thought leaders in education from around the globe at the annual SOMOS Conference in Puerto Rico.  SOMOS brings together leaders and learners, activists and artists, public officials and private sector champions with a shared belief that the future must be shaped with our communities, not for them. Laura and her fellow panelists, Melissa Aviles-Ramos, Chancellor of New York City Public Schools (NYCPS, Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers, Andrea Vasque, Secretary for…

Hats off to LINC’s 2025 NYC Marathon Team: Ashley, Tim, Yaneli, Leemen, and Scott! They joined runners, spectators, and fans from around the globe for a 26.2-mile journey through the five boroughs of New York City, in the name of early literacy. Our team is building healthier lives and stronger communities through the transformative power of reading and running, and we could not be prouder. Congratulations to our entire team for helping to bring the joy and power of reading to New York City’s most vulnerable children. Click here to donate in support of Team LINC.

Traducción al español aquí As part of LINC, you belong to a growing community of people deeply committed to your success, and now our literacy programs are more accessible than ever!  LINC’s app is officially live and here to help you and your family on a journey to reading readiness.  The colorful and playful graphic elements reflect the LINC brand and make the app easy to use and engaging. From storytime to parent workshops, find family-friendly programs for you and your little one, explore events with other caregivers, and stay in the loop with your community!  LINC is with you…

On Wednesday, October 29, Literacy in Community (LINC) families will gather virtually to celebrate one of our favorite reading holidays, Jumpstart’s Read for the Record, in our own unique, sweet way. LINC’s online program, The Chocolate Seed: Learning to Grow features guest author, Nettie Atkisson, a chocolate educator, a photographer, and an avid literacy advocate. Nettie is the author of The Chocolate Seed, the chosen book for this program, and Boba and Butter’s Chocolate Adventure, which she read at a LINC program earlier this year. We salute all of the Read for the Record participants around the world. You are making history!…

Upper Manhattan Childhood Connect (UMECC) has had an exciting summer and early fall!  Thanks to the incredible collaboration with Literacy in Community’s (LINC) FACE team, frequent community presence, our CBO partners, and clinical partners at NYP, we have seen considerable growth in our engagement with families over the past few months. Compared to FY25, on average, our Ambassadors are supporting three times the number of families each month this fiscal year. We held our first UMECC/CHALK Jr pop-up event at Alianza Dominicana on September 12th-an initiative that supports the overlap of food insecurity and early childhood developmental needs through educational…

On Sunday, November 2, Team LINC will join thousands of athletes for the 54th annual New York City Marathon–a 26.2-mile course through the five boroughs sidelined by crowds of spectators, and we cannot wait to watch them cross the finish line. Join us in the Official Charity Cheer Zone, in one of our very own communities, East Harlem as we shower our team with love and gratitude! Look for the LINC logo at 1st Avenue & 120th Street between 11:15am-2:15pm. This is LINC’s third year as an official charity partner and we could not be more excited for this iconic…

Literacy in Community (LINC) works in partnership with local community-based organizations and other early literacy program providers to serve New York City’s families and children from birth through five with quality literacy programming. Collaboration is baked into our mission and our methods of mobilizing communities around early literacy. On Wednesday, October 15, LINC’s Chief Program Officer, Laura Walsh, and Senior Director of Early Literacy, Josh Barocas, were pleased to attend the Leading Literacy Summit: Turning Research into Results for Every Student hosted by the Science of Reading Center at SUNY New Paltz. They were especially excited to hear the panel on…

It’s that time of year again! Meet us in Manhattan and grab a glass! On Wednesday, November 19, from 6:00pm – 8:00pm, Literacy in Community’s Professional Advisory Council (PAC) will host its annual Books & Brews Fundraiser at the Continental Bar and Lounge downtown. Raise a glass to little readers across New York City and bring a book of your own to swap during the evening! We are thrilled to host this crowd-pleaser at a new location, Continental Bar and Lounge is located at 82 Beaver Street* in Lower Manhattan. Bring one or two gently loved books and swap them…

On Friday, October 10, families from the five boroughs celebrated community during City’s First Readers (CFR) and RISE x Penguin Workshop’s Fall Reading Festival at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum. 132 families from across New York City participated in this free, fun, and unique collaboration in honor of RISE’s 5th birthday. Featuring 15 passionate children’s book authors and illustrators from Penguin’s imprint RISE, the joyful festival included author-led read-alouds and related hands-on activities such as ‘First Conversations” series author Jessica Ralli and illustrator Isabel Roxas leading youngsters in a portrait activity; Kari Percival inviting kids to greet, hold, and observe worms at…

From October 8-9, 2025, LINC’s Chief Program Officer, Laura Walsh and Senior Director of Early Literacy, Josh Barocas joined other early childhood professionals for two days of learning and inspiration at the annual Zero to Three Learn Conference in Baltimore, MD. It was a chance for Literacy in Community (LINC) to share our insights and to network with other experts who use cutting-edge research in the early childhood field. This year’s theme was empowering early childhood professionals through community, a topic near and dear to our heart at LINC. Panel topics included infant mental health, child welfare, early childhood education,…

Congratulations to beloved author, LINC champion, and Canticos co-founder Susie Jaramillo on being honored with the McDonald’s Metro Awards, Premios Héroes! This recognition celebrates leaders making a difference in shaping the future of our Hispanic youth—and we couldn’t think of a more deserving hero. On Thursday, September 18, LINC’s Deputy Executive Director, Eliana Godoy, Chief of Advocacy and Community Mobilization, Albania Jimenez, and Community Engagement Specialist, Jennifer Patrone joined Susie for the award ceremony at Above the Heights at Radio Tower in Washington Heights. Premios Héroes recognizes inspiring heroes who are driving change in our communities and was designed to…

Get ready for a magical day of books, bonding, and big smiles! Families with little ones from birth through age 5 are invited to join LINC and City’s First Readers at the Fall Reading Festival on October 10th at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum! This special, free event promises to bring excitement and learning in celebration of RISE x Penguin Workshop’s fifth anniversary. RISE works to publish impactful stories for the youngest readers, with a mission to empower children ages 0-5 with authentic, relevant, and elegant books. Their work naturally aligns with LINC’s efforts in chairing City’s First Readers to ensure that children from all backgrounds have a solid…