LINC
Family News
Stay connected and read the latest about our families in LINC news.
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Standing Together in Care, Safety, and Solidarity: Share LINC’s Digital Immigration Safety and Resource Kit
A Statement from LINC’s Deputy Executive Director, Eliana Godoy Like many of you, I stayed up late last night following the heartbreaking news of the ICE shooting in Marble Hill. A man was shot while a five-year-old child sat in the backseat of his car, in a residential neighborhood, at the very time when families were picking up their children from school. Children and caregivers were going about their everyday routines, in a place where they should feel safe. My colleague Amy and I were in that very neighborhood the day before, at almost exactly the same time. I am…
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Root, Root, Root for the Home Team: LINC Featured on Bronx Beat!
LINC knows it can make all the difference to have the right people supporting you from the sidelines. For over a decade, the New York Yankees have been rooting for LINC and investing in community-powered literacy. From providing funding for community reading programs, to being a Reading on the Rails destination, to serving up ballpark memories for our donors and our families – the Yankees continue to go to bat for our community. Take a peek inside LINC’s collaboration with the New York Yankees and our work across the Bronx with this very special segment of Bronx Beat, produced by the YES Network. Support starts with showing up. For young children, a…
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More Resources for Our Families: LINC Partners with Learning Heroes on the Go Beyond Grades NYC Back to School Campaign
More resources for New York City families! That’s right. Learning Heroes’ Go Beyond Grades NYC Back-to-School campaign launched on Thursday, September 17th. From Grades to Growth: Helping NYC Students Thrive contains resources designed to help NYC families start the school year with a fuller picture of their child’s learning and practical tools to connect with teachers, understand what their child is learning, and plan for continued growth. Why Go Beyond Grades? Grades are important. But they don’t always tell the full story. 87% of NYC parents believe their child reads at or above grade level and 81% believe their child…
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Showing Up for Our Families: Dads Take Your Child to School Day Sparks a Love of Reading & Builds Resilience
Last Thursday, Literacy in Community (LINC) showed up for one of the most important days of the year, Dads Take Your Child to School Day (DTYCTSD), a citywide celebration of fathers, families, and the lasting impact of being present! Very Involved Parents (VIPs) and Dads, Carlos Sabino and Carlos Alejandro joined Assemblymember Manny De Los Santos for a special bilingual Reading Celebration at P.S.189M in Manhattan on the 20th anniversary of DTYCTSD. They read one of our favorites, Tish Rabe’s Central Park You Can See Is the Best Place to Be, in which the Squirrel Family, Mommy, Daddy and their…
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A Moment of Gratitude: More LINC Very Involved Parents (VIPs) Are on the Rise
This August, LINC celebrated two new cohorts of Very Involved Parents (VIPs), dedicated caregivers from Queens and Staten Island who graduated from the program and are equipped to take greater roles in future of their communities. The Queens graduates enjoyed relaxing music and painting, a meaningful moment of self-expression and an opportunity to slow down and be present. These VIPS expressed tremendous gratitude for being recognized for the volunteer work they have done—and continue to do—for their communities. They shared how LINC has helped many of them leave their homes, advocate for their children, and build a supportive community with…
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Reading Our Way Across New York City
This summer, nearly 400 children and caregivers from all five boroughs joined LINC for one of our most joyful traditions: Reading on the Rails. Throughout the year, LINC encourages families to board subways, buses, and ferries with books in hand, reading their way to some of New York City’s most iconic destinations. We’ve read our way to City Hall. The New York Transit Museum. Yankee Stadium. One World Observatory. The New York Aquarium. And more. For many families, these adventures offer something especially meaningful: the opportunity to discover a new part of their city, sometimes for the very first time. And…
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Getting Ready for a New Start with Guest Author Orlenny Alvarez
At Literacy in Community (LINC), we know that new beginnings, whether that is in the form of Head Start, day care, preschool, or other routine, are smoother when caregivers and children are emotionally prepared. That’s why we invited guest author Orlenny Alvarez to our virtual Back to School Reading Celebration on Wednesday, August 12. Orlenny Alvarez is the author and illustrator of ¡Amo Quien Soy! (I Love Who I Am!), a book that she wrote specifically for families who are navigating the transition to preschool. ¡Amo Quien Soy! inspires children to believe in themselves and their abilities, and helps them develop…
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LINC’s Very Involved Parents Enjoy the First National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Match Played in New York City
It was a day of firsts! Thanks to the generosity of Playworks, a cohort of LINC’s Very Involved Parents (VIPs) and their families enjoyed an exclusive FIFA World Cup Semifinal Watch Party. On Wednesday, July 15, it was a scorching hot day in New York City. It was also the day that the first-ever National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) regular-season match was played inside New York City, and the first women’s sporting event hosted at the iconic Citi Field. This “Queens Classic” included a slew of pre-game festivities with free food, live music, and t-shirts, and an historic moment for…
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Family Reading Only Grows on Deloitte Impact Day
On Friday, June 5th, LINC was honored to participate in Deloitte Impact Day 2026. Led by Board Member Will Estilo, Deloitte sent 24 volunteers to Nuestros Niños Day Care Center in Brooklyn for a delightful outdoor literacy program. June is FROG month at Literacy in Community (LINC), which is an acronym for “Family Reading Only Grows.” Volunteers jumped right in and helped with tasks big and small – from setting up stations, to registering families, and prepping special FROG giveaway bags. One brave volunteer graciously donned LINC’s iconic frog costume and happily hopped around, despite the heat. Families engaged in…
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Batter Up for Literacy: LINC Families Read Their Way to Yankee Stadium
The energy was electric as Literacy in Community (LINC) families rode the rails of the New York City subway system and read books from Fordham, Mott Haven, and Kingsbridge to Yankee Stadium last Wednesday. It was the beginning of LINC’s annual Reading on the Rails program. Each year, Reading on the Rails demonstrates in real time how literacy can take place anywhere and everywhere, inspiring all parents and communities to embrace how they can promote learning and literacy with children in ordinary places and ways throughout the summer months. On July 1, LINC teamed up with the New York Yankees…
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A Very Involved Parent Academy Started in Full Swing this Spring
Being a LINC Very Involved Parent (VIP) is a lifelong journey filled with unique skill-building opportunities and exclusive training with our team, other education professionals, and community advocates, and this spring, our Very Involved Parent Academy started in full swing. In each of the five boroughs, a select number of LINC caregivers began training as Very Involved Parents (VIPs) after demonstrating their commitment to supporting their community’s youngest readers. The Academy trains parents to become literacy advocates in their neighborhoods and equips them to deliver community reading programs, spread LINC’s mission, and promote positive reading habits with other families. They…
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Read, Sing, Talk and Play: City’s First Readers Rallies for Early Literacy on the Steps of City Hall
Read, Sing, Talk and Play, shouted an enthusiastic crowd! Some reading is loud and proud! On Monday morning, June 8, City’s First Readers’ partners, friends and elected officials gathered on the steps of City Hall to make their message clear. Early literacy is the foundation for lifelong success Every child deserves access to high quality early learning Building a citywide commitment to children and families The rally commenced with a read aloud of Eric Carle’s book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and the crowd was welcomed by Councilmember Eric Dinowitz, the Chair of the Education Committee. “Every child deserves the investment…
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City’s First Readers to Rally for Early Literacy at City Hall, Monday, June 8
NEW YORK, NY, June 3, 2026–On Monday, June 8, New York City Council will hold its Education Budget Hearing at 12:00 pm and City’s First Readers (CFR), a group of 17 organizations funded by the New York City Council that offers free, fun learning activities for every New York City family with children from birth to age 5, is taking a stand! CFR Partner organizations, staff, educators, advocates, partners, and families will join forces on the steps of City Hall at 10:30 am to rally for early literacy across New York City. CFR partners range from doctors’ offices to libraries…
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All My Stripes: Building Awareness and Inclusion During National Autism Acceptance Month
On Wednesday, April 29, Literacy in Community’s (LINC) held its monthly virtual, bilingual Reading Celebration commemorating Autism Acceptance Month to bring autism awareness and resources to our communities and beyond. The program entitled, Autism is My Way of Being, focused on how acceptance leads to inclusion and ways to reduce stigma around the subject of neurodivergence. The packed program included a read aloud of All My Stripes: A Story for Children with Autism by Danielle Royer and Shaina Rudolph, guest speakers from The Friends of Crown Heights and LINC’s Upper Manhattan Early Childhood Connect (UMECC) who specialize in assistance with…
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City’s First Readers Campaign Brings Early Literacy to New Moms and Parents-to-Be at New York City Hospitals
“It’s never too early to start reading with your child!” Over the last six months, City’s First Readers (CFR) launched a hospital-based outreach campaign, building new partnerships with New York City hospitals to engage new parents, promoting shared reading and early literacy, and connecting families to CFR’s programs and supporters. CFR initiated the Hospital Baby Campaign at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan in December 2025 and is touring all five boroughs. The campaign’s goal is to connect with expecting moms early by sharing research, resources, and the many benefits of reading from the very beginning through a workshop series. Participants in…
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City’s First Readers Month Starts with a Glow Safari at The Bronx Zoo
April is City’s First Readers (CFR) Month, and that means welcoming in spring with special reading events across the city. This season’s signature program started on a bright Friday afternoon, April 10, when a troop of New York City families traversed The Bronx Zoo as part of CFR’s Little Readers Glow Safari. The adventure began inside with glow-in-the-dark sensory activities, a scavenger hunt, free tickets to explore the zoo, and a chance to win a zoo membership. CFR partners: the New York Public Library, JCCA, and La Fuerza provided free books. Over 50 families flocked to the great Schiff Hall…
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A New Look & More Resources for Upper Manhattan Early Childhood Connect at UMECC.org!
Upper Manhattan Early Childhood Connect (UMECC)* invites you to visit our new digital home and tell your neighbors: www.umecc.org! UMECC supports caregivers and partners in promoting healthy childhood development and early literacy in Upper Manhattan from Harlem to The Bronx. Serving as a hub for all things early childhood, UMECC connects caregivers with Early Intervention, CPSE, 2K-preK, childcare, and a range of other literacy and learning resources in Upper Manhattan. Learn about UMECC’s collective impact work, why early support matters so much, and how to get involved. The team is here to support caregivers and partners in promoting healthy childhood development…
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LINC in the Media: Diversity Through Literacy Featured in the “Riverdale Press”
Children’s literacy program at Kingsbridge Library highlights immigrant stories and identity By Michelle Mullen At the Kingsbridge Library this month, young readers are setting off on a literary journey. For some, it’s a chance to embrace their own stories. For others, it’s a chance to discover someone else’s. It’s part of this year’s Diversity in Literacy campaign, an annual initiative by the nonprofit Literacy in Community, or LINC, which uses children’s books to introduce young readers and their families to stories that reflect the many languages, traditions and backgrounds that make up the five boroughs. This year’s theme, “A Love…
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Media Advisory: Literacy in Community (LINC) and Fidelis Care Join Together to Send “A Love Letter to NYC Immigrants & Working Families” at LINC’s Diversity Through Literacy 2026 Campaign
Campaign celebrates diverse representation and inclusion in children’s literature NEW YORK, NY, March 11, 2026 – Literacy in Community (LINC), an early childhood literacy nonprofit, and Fidelis Care, a New York State health plan, announced the sixth year of their collaborative Diversity Through Literacy campaign. Started in 2021, Diversity Through Literacy is an annual campaign recognizing the power of children’s literature to celebrate diversity in all forms by sharing many voices, embracing unique perspectives, honoring different cultures, and more. From March 14 – April 4, 2026, LINC and Fidelis Care will host eight separate Diversity Through Literacy events across New…
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LINC Reads in the Lunar New Year at the New York Taekwondo Park in Staten Island with Most Terrific Day Care
New moves, new books, new year! As we enter the Year of the Horse, LINC’s Staten Island team enthusiastically breathed fire into the passions of young readers. On Thursday, February 12, with the support of our friends at New York Taekwondo Park and Most Terrific Child Center in Rosebank, LINC delivered an unforgettable morning of Lunar New Year treats, crafts, and stories to dozens of families. Master Ray Park, the Korean martial artist, started off this program with taekwondo exercises that got the children moving in unison and voicing their appreciation for their parents. Just like reading, martial arts promote…
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Universal Child Care Must Include Early Literacy, Says LINC’s Deputy Executive Director, Eliana Godoy, in The New York Times
To the editor, a response to “How Mamdani’s Audacious Child Care Plan Could Work,” by Rachel Cohen Booth (Opinion guest essay in The New York Times, Dec. 15, 2025) From Eliana Godoy, Deputy Executive Director of Literacy in Community (LINC) Hopes for Mamdani’s Vision for Child Care As an immigrant mother and literacy advocate, I read this essay with both relief and resolve. Relief, because it confirms what families like mine have long known: The child care crisis is not a personal failure but a policy failure. Resolve, because this moment demands courage, not caution. Attempts to discredit universal child…
