2022-2023 A Year in Review: Promoting and Strengthening Early Literacy

2022-2023 A Year in Review: Promoting and Strengthening Early Literacy

The Smart Start Network works year-round to ensure children and families thrive, creating a brighter future for each child in every community. To celebrate the new year, Smart Start will showcase the impact of the Network with early care...

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Smart Start and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL) Increase Reading and Access to Books Across North Carolina

The Smart Start Network has worked alongside Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL) to distribute over 15 million books to children across North Carolina. Smart Start and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library- The History and Funding In 2017, Smart Start expanded Imagination Library...

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Smart Start Presents on Building Relationships through Literacy

Smart Start Presents on Building Relationships through Literacy

Everything Happens in the Context of Relationships! At PBS North Carolina’s 2023 Impact Early Childhood Education Summit, Daphne Alsiyao, NCPC’s Family Support Manager, and Christina Peterson, Child and Family Health Manager, presented on the importance of relationships and how children’s...

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Smart Start Impacts Literacy for Each Child in Every Community

The Smart Start Network works year-round to ensure children and families are supported, creating a brighter future for each child in every community. Each Local Partnership provides critical social and emotional support, needed resources and referrals, crucial infrastructure support,...

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Smart Start + Dolly Parton = 10 Million Books for NC’s Children!

This week Smart Start celebrated a major milestone –10 million books sent to North Carolina children through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library! Imagination Library is dedicated to inspiring a love of reading by gifting books free of charge to children from...

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Smart Start Creates Impact by Recognizing the Importance of Early Literacy

In celebration of the upcoming new year, Smart Start is celebrating our hard work and taking this time to recognize the role of Smart Start local partnerships in each community. Smart Start is working across the state to create a...

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Smart Start Celebrates 8 Million Books Distributed

Since December of 2017, Smart Start has sent over 8 million books to young children across North Carolina through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (DPIL)! This milestone is a testament to the hard work by our local partnerships across North...

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The Catawba Partnership for Children Partners to Get Books to Families

The Catawba Partnership for Children and the Catawba Leadership Academy are installing 12 Little Free Libraries to encourage families to grab a free book.  Little Free Libraries, free standing, weather-resistant wooden boxes, house books for families to grab to read...

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Partnership for Children of Lenoir and Green Counties celebrates One Year of StoryWalk

The Partnership for Children of Lenoir and Green Counties hosted a one year celebration of Lenoir County StoryWalk. The celebration included a scavenger hunt, gardening, physical activity, and an opportunity to experience interactive learning. StoryWalk is an interactive, literacy experience...

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Statement from Dolly Parton and the President of Smart Start on the State Budget

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  |  June 20, 2017 Press Contact: Heather Strickland 919-821-9564, 919-749-5013 hstrickland@smartstart.org The following joint statement from Dolly Parton and Cindy Watkins, President of the North Carolina Partnership for Children/Smart Start, is in response to the release of the...

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