Literacy in Community (LINC) has proudly served as the facilitating partner of the NYC Reads Initiative since its inception in 2014. With the inspired support of the Pinkerton Foundation and the additional contributions of The Carmel Hill Fund, NYC Reads has successfully built a continuum of literacy programming, from infancy through 5th grade. Each of the ten partner organizations contributes its expertise and implements its own program model. Together, we are more effective, expanding from South Jamaica to include East New York and most recently East Harlem as the newest NYC Reads neighborhood. NYC Reads is stronger than ever and…

Continuing a long and strong tradition of meeting over the Presidents’ Day weekend, the 53rd Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Caucus convened in Albany starting February 16th. LINC recognizes the essential role that our New York State legislators play in setting the city’s education agenda and we were there to remind policymakers that learning to read starts long before a child sets foot in a classroom. The intrepid Albania Jimenez, LINC’s Senior Director of Family & Community Mobilization, was joined by Harineta (Neta) Rigatos, LINC’s Digital Strategist. Together they teamed up to explore the events and informative panels available…

On February 21st, LINC’s Community Engagement Specialist, Arisbel Villa and Director of Community Mobilization, Corey Saxton joined the Bronx Senate Delegation Budget Forum and urged New York State leaders to make early literacy and early education top programmatic and funding priorities for the upcoming budget cycle. Let’s create mandates and resources that will foster greater collaboration between our healthcare and education systems throughout a child’s earliest years and dispel the belief that learning to read begins in the classroom with formal education. Education begins at birth. Until all children have universal access to the positive pre-reading experiences that are the…

Shortly after announcing her three-point plan to improve literacy levels in her 2024 State of the State address, Governor Hochul appeared at the Bronx Children’s Museum to highlight her child care and affordability proposals.  LINC’s Senior Director of Family & Community Engagement and Bronx resident, Albania Jimenez was there and spoke briefly with the Governor about LINC’s work in the field of early literacy.   “LINC knows that the most effective way to improve literacy is to engage the families of young children so that they experience key pre-reading activities and arrive at school ready to learn. We meet local families where…

As we enter the Year of the Dragon, our East Harlem team enthusiastically breathed fire into the passions of young readers. On Thursday, February 8, with the support of our longtime collaborators at East Harlem Tutorial Program (EHTP), LINC delivered an unforgettable afternoon of stories, food, crafts, and music to dozens of families and two classrooms of pre-K and Kindergarten learners. Lunar New Year is a time of renewal for many families in East Harlem, and is celebrated by many cultures who observe the lunar calendar, including Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Taiwanese families. Following the cycles of the moon to…

On Friday morning, February 16, LINC families gathered at P.S.85 Great Expectations School in the Fordham section of The Bronx to be part of an explosive reading experience! P.S. 85 had just completed a monumental book challenge with their pre-K through second-grade students – reading one book per day for a total of 85 days. To honor all of the readers who met the challenge, they invited author Emeline Lee to launch an award ceremony and give out 320 copies of her book, Bonnie’s Rocket. Bonnie’s Rocket is a heartwarming father-daughter tale inspired by Emeline Lee’s grandfather, who worked on the…

On Wednesday morning, February 14, over 16 local Washington Heights families joined LINC and Fidelis Care for a new kind of Valentine’s Day celebration: Reading with Love! LINC’s joyful early literacy programs are always infused with love but yesterday, they honored the many different bonds and memories we form with others and the unique role that literacy plays in those relationships.  LINC staff and one of our Very Involved Parents (VIP) did a bilingual read-aloud of Love You, Hug You, Read to You by Tish Rabe and gave away free copies of Baby Touch, I Love You by Ladybird Books, along with…

On Saturday, February 10, 2024, Literacy in Community joined over 300 attendees from 20 different grassroots organizations for Councilmember Carmen De La Rosa’s inaugural Uptown People’s Assembly–a groundbreaking event rooted in the principles of co-governance and participatory democracy.  Councilmember De La Rosa’s District 10 includes three LINC communities: Kingsbridge, Washington Heights, and Inwood, Seven LINC staff and Very Involved Parents (VIPs) were proud to participate in discussions on legislation, policy, projects, and budgets that will impact a number of the neighborhoods in which they live and work.  After introductory remarks by Councilmember De La Rosa, the People’s Theatre Project offered an…

The year of the dragon is here and what better way to celebrate the Chinese New Year, than a good book and a whole lot of cheer!  On Friday, February 9, LINC families gathered to sing, dance, and read My First Chinese New Year by Karen Katz together at New York Tae Kwon Do Park on the north shore of Staten Island. It was a lively program with over 30 children in attendance, many wearing traditional garments, including our wonderful partner, Ms. Asmaa, the director of Most Terrific Center Day Care. The story My First Chinese New Year provided a warm and easy-to-follow…

The LINC Advocacy Team roamed the hallways of the New York State Capitol building on January 29th and 30th. We met with a number of Assemblymembers and Senators who represent LINC neighborhoods to share a message about the importance of early literacy programming and the effectiveness of LINC’s work. Our state elected officials are key. Education advocates championing many issues and views are active at the capital this season. The Albany legislature holds sway over many education decisions for New York City that are made locally throughout the rest of the state – including even its governance structure (Mayoral Control…

NYC Reads promotes early literacy in our communities all year long and ended 2023 on a high note with a variety of in-person and virtual holiday programs. Families received free copies of Beyond the Book: Books, Activities & Fun–a booklet filled with reading adventures for children, from birth to fifth grade, in addition to a host of other age-appropriate children’s books throughout the month of December. The Family Gingerbread PJ Party at the Baisley Park Library in South Jamaica was a trilingual extravaganza. Conducted in three different languages (English, Spanish, and Bengali), attendees were thrilled to read in their favorite holiday…

Thanks to the generous author and long-time literacy advocate, Brooks Olbrys, LINC’s virtual reading adventures expanded under the sea and into new neighborhoods earlier this month.  With the help of several partner organizations in Long Island as well as New York City, Brooks shared over 450 copies of his award-winning early chapter book, Blue Ocean Bob Discovers His Purpose with families outside of LINC’s eight target communities.  Families from Far Rockaway and Long Island’s East End logged in for their first high-seas reading adventure and explored tips for reading every day, discovering their passions, and taking care of our natural world. …

It’s a new year and LINC is thrilled to announce four new staff members! Each of them brings a unique background, skills, and set of experiences that will take our mission to new heights in 2024, and we could not be happier. They are excited to get to know the LINC community and for you to get to know them.  It is our pleasure to introduce the following four all-stars to our team:  Kiera Jerez-Alston, Family Engagement Specialist, East Harlem: Kiera is an East Harlem native with years of experience in the Arts and a lifelong love for literature, nature, and history.…

Meet Arjana Topallaj, originally from Albania, a Staten Island parent and active community member with a passion for understanding early childhood development, and a master’s degree in clinical psychology. Arjana became a LINC VIP in 2020, and joined the LINC staff as the Community Engagement Specialist for our Staten Island team in November 2023!  Arjana discovered LINC during a visit to the Stapleton Library in Staten Island with her then five-year-old daughter, Suriana (now 10) who had recently started kindergarten. Arjana has two younger boys who were at home that day, Suar was 2 years old (now 7) and Menar…

This holiday season, LINC’s Fordham and Kingsbridge communities united forces with SBH Health & Wellness Center in The Bronx to host a variety of caregiver workshops as part of LINC’s Family Engagement Series.  The series teaches parents how to make reading a valued part of a family’s daily routine and connect to other families, community resources, and public libraries, and SBH’s partnership has been crucial to this effort. Together, our teams have created a beautifully decorated, joyful, and welcoming environment where families can feel comfortable and confident as they embark on their parent journeys with LINC.  During one of our…

“I have the audacity to believe that people everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies; education and culture for their minds; and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits. –  Martin Luther King, 1964 Nobel Prize acceptance speech Martin Luther King’s dream of justice and equity was deeply intertwined with education.  As we reflect on his legacy, let us remember his wisdom:  “It was not fortuitous that education became embroiled in [the Civil Rights Movement]… Education is one of the vital tools the Negro needs in order to advance. And yet it has been denied him by…

Support from our donors gives the LINC team the ability to handpick books with diverse and inclusive content, encouraging equitable representation in children’s literature that reflects LINC communities across the city.  We would like to share a list of books that we use for our programs and recommend for gifting! AGES 0-2 – Our Skin by Jessica Ralli and Megan Madison – The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez – ABC and You and Me by Corinna Luyken  – Colors/Colores by Eric Carle – Hello Friend, Hola Amigo by Andres Salguero – Kindness Makes Us Strong by Sophie Beer –…

Despite the wind and rain, LINC staff and one of our dedicated Very Involved Parent volunteers joined a throng of people today to register their objections to the proposed November Budget Plan. The revised budget calls for sequential 5% cuts in November, January and May of the current fiscal year. Those gathered to protest understand that the impact of such cuts will extend across an array of human services at a time when multiple forces are generating unprecedented need and demand for those very programs. The rally was organized by the New York City Council’s Progressive Caucus and timed to…

On Monday, November 20, LINC partnered with PS18R, The John G Whittier School on Staten Island for a special literacy program–one that united the joy of reading with the joy of cooking and eating healthy. The program started with a vibrant tale entitled Rico Eats a Rainbow by author Jessica M. Miller and illustrator Sameer Kassar. Written by a former Junior High School Principal with a Ph.D. in public health, this book is designed to help parents and educators begin dialogues with children regarding healthy eating habits, encourage interest in shopping for foods, and create a space to introduce different…

LINC envisions a world where every community uses their own collective power to make literacy a value and right of all children, and that vision grows stronger every day. Earlier this week, LINC’s voice got louder as our Professional Advisory Council (PAC) raised their glasses to little readers across New York City at the Brooklyn Brewery in celebration of Giving Tuesday. LINC is proud to be part of Giving Tuesday’s global celebration and recognition– a day that brings together nonprofits, community organizers, grassroots groups, and mutual aid networks from all over the world. PAC members new and old mingled with…