Each Child. Every Community.

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...

MEDIA ALERT February 28, 2019Press Contact: Heather Strickland 919-749-5013, 919-821-9564 Smart Start Celebrates 25 Years and Statewide Rollout of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Evening to include special presentation and performance by Dolly Parton Raleigh, NC -- During the 2017 legislative session, North Carolina...

Literacy program that delivers books directly to children under five now available in every county FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEDecember 13, 2018Press Contact: Heather Strickland 919-749-5013, 919-821-9564, hstrickland@smartstart.org Raleigh, NC – The one millionth book was delivered this month directly to the home...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  -  February 2, 2018 | Press Contact: Heather Strickland - 919-821-9564 Early Literacy Program to be a Part of Well-Child Visits RALEIGH, NC— Eighteen Smart Start local partnerships received funding to provide or expand Reach Out and Read (ROR)...

$10 million provided to deliver books right into the hands of North Carolina's youngest children FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:  Heather Strickland - hstrickland@smartstart.org, 919-821-9564 Spruce Pine, NC -- Smart Start and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library are working together to bring books to North...

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...

Shared Measures of Success to Put North Carolina Children on a Pathway to Grade-Level Reading is a new report that outlines the research basis behind the NC Pathways to Grade-Level Reading Measures of Success Framework: http://buildthefoundation.org/2017/06/new-report-outlines-research-behind-measures-that-move-the-needle-on-third-grade-reading/. Also, Pathways is inviting people and organizations...

Over 40,000 Books Given to Children Through Smart Start and Reach Out & Read Recent Report Says Parents Participating in the Program Are More Likely to be Reading with Young Children – A recent report shows that a statewide partnership...

President Cindy Watkins talked to WPTF about the work that the Smart Start network is doing to expand Reach Out and Read, an early literacy program, across the state.  Listen to the clip.

President Cindy Watkins talked to WPTF about the work that the Smart Start network is doing to expand Reach Out and Read, an early literacy program, across the state.  Listen to the clip.