LINC in the News
Read about what’s happening at LINC and with our families, both in the news and through blog posts written by our team.
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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…
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City’s First Readers Set Out for the World’s Fair on October 29
City’s First Readers (CFR) will host its World’s Fair, Our World, Our Stories, on Thursday, October 29, from 11:00am to 3:00pm at the Queens Museum in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. CFR is a coalition of 18 nonprofits, coordinated by Literacy in Community (LINC), that helps New York City children from birth to age five build early literacy skills. The free event is the centerpiece of CFR Month, when partners across the five boroughs welcome families to reading events throughout October. The CFR World’s Fair includes a full day of storytelling, music, cultural activities, free books, and hands-on activities that celebrate…
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LINC, EdTrust New York, and Really Great Reading to Present Changing the Trajectory: Literacy as a Pathway to Lifelong Learning at SOMOS 2026!
On November 6, Literacy in Community (LINC), EdTrust New York, and Really Great Reading will present Changing the Trajectory: Literacy as a Pathway to Lifelong Learning at SOMOS 2026. Join us for a conversation on closing New York’s literacy gaps and building a connected, evidence-based system that helps every child become a successful reader—from the earliest years through adolescence. Panelists Include: For 40 years, SOMOS has fought for the promise that every New Yorker can take part fully in the life of this state. Reading is where that promise is kept or broken. Only 41 percent of New York fourth…
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Statement from Literacy in Community (LINC) on New York’s Expansion of Free Child Care and 2-K
Literacy in Community (LINC) celebrates recent announcements by New York State Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani regarding additional investments in early childhood services. Great news for New York City families. On October 5th, the Mayor and the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) announced that the city will deliver free child care to more than 10,000 children by moving them off the child care voucher waitlist. Supported by a $1.2 billion investment from Governor Kathy Hochul towards the city’s free child care initiatives, the funding will support low-income children ages 6 weeks to 13 years, and…
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Running for Little Readers! Join LINC in the NYC Marathon Cheer Zone on Sunday, November 1
On Sunday, November 1, Team LINC will join thousands of athletes for the 55th 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 located at 1st Avenue & 120th Street as we shower our team with love and gratitude! This is LINC’s fourth year as an official charity partner and we could not be more excited for this iconic opportunity. Each runner has committed to raising at least $4,000 to support LINC’s work in…
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Commemorating Agents of Change: LINC’s Chief of Advocacy and Community Mobilization, Albania Jimenez Celebrates 25th Anniversary During LINC’s 30th Year
Cristal Jimenez was just eight years old and had just started second grade when her teacher told her mom, Albania that Cristal was behind in reading. Cristal’s teacher encouraged Albania to get more involved in her daughter’s school life. So she did everything from joining the PTA to volunteering inside the school. “It’s my daughter, I’ll do whatever it takes,” she said. Albania became present, day in and out, yet her daughter continued to struggle with basic literacy. That all changed in January 2001 when Albania met Patricia Cooper Small, LINC Parent Coordinator for Inwood and Washington Heights. Patricia explained…
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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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LINC Races to Read: Meet Our 2026 NYC Marathon Runners!
Literacy in Community (LINC) is thrilled to be a charity partner for the 2026 New York City Marathon for the 4th year in a row. LINC’s runners will complete the 26.2-mile journey through the five boroughs of New York City along with 60,000 participants on Sunday, November 1, and we could not be more proud to cheer them on. As they work up their endurance over the coming months, each member of LINC’s team will also be working to build resilience and confidence for families across New York by raising funds for early literacy. Their proceeds will go toward supporting…
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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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Central Park, You Can See, Is a Great Place to Read!
What a ride! On Thursday, August 13, more than 400 LINC families from across all five boroughs came together for LINC’s 12th annual Reading on the Rails, a citywide literacy adventure that turned public transit and Central Park into spaces for reading, discovery, and connection. From early-morning subway and ferry rides to a picnic in Central Park, families spent the day discovering just how much learning can happen along the way. All families received “bear” bags filled with parent tips, a book, literacy activity sheets, chalk, and branded bucket hats at the start of their journey. We were thrilled to…
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LINC Featured on NBC Morning News with Joe Fryer & Author Tish Rabe
On Tuesday, August 11, NBC Morning News anchor Joe Fryer interviewed literary icon and dedicated friend of Literacy in Community (LINC), Tish Rabe, in anticipation of our 12th annual Reading on the Rails event. Watch the interview! Tish Rabe is a New York Times bestselling children’s book author, singer and songwriter who has written over 200 books, including the recent Central Park You Can See Is the Best Place to Be, a rhyming storybook of which she has generously donated 5,000 copies to LINC. Tish is LINC’s special guest author for this year’s Reading on the Rails event, where she…
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LINC’s Upper Manhattan Early Childhood Connect (UMECC) Team Serve as Key Panelists at a Citywide Forum on Early Intervention & Early Childhood Development
This summer, leaders from Literacy in Community’s (LINC) Upper Manhattan Early Childhood Connect (UMECC) joined United for Brownsville, Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York, the Staten Island Alliance, and partners from across the city for a conversation about strengthening Early Intervention as a gateway to developmental, educational, and family support across the early childhood continuum. This engaging morning of ideas, collaboration, and practical strategies was called Supported from the Start: A Citywide Forum on Early Intervention & Early Childhood Development and was held at The Legal Aid Society Training & Advocacy Center, free of charge on July 14. The…
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Media Advisory: Literacy in Community Announces Annual Reading on the Rails Adventure: All Roads Lead to Central Park on August 13
It’s that time of year again. Literacy in Community (LINC), a leading early literacy nonprofit, will hold its 12th annual Reading on the Rails event on August 13 with all roads leading to Central Park, “the place to be.” Over 400 families from all five boroughs will travel in groups with LINC on public transit, reading and engaging in literacy-rich activities as they go. With the support of lovino Enterprises, this city-wide reading adventure demonstrates in real time how literacy can take place anywhere and everywhere, inspiring all parents and caregivers of young children to embrace how they can promote…
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Vote for LINC in the SXSW EDU Panel Picker!
We’re excited to share that our SXSW EDU PanelPicker proposal is now live, and we’d love your support! Literacy in Community (LINC) and Reach Out and Read submitted a joint proposal to talk about partnership and early literacy through our work in NYC. Here’s how you can help: Our proposed session, Who Builds Readers? The Continuum of Trusted Relationships, explores how healthcare, families, community organizations, libraries, and schools work together to build strong readers through trusted relationships from birth. If selected, this session will spotlight the innovative work happening across New York City and elevate the importance of cross-sector partnerships in advancing early…
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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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LINC is Proud to Partake in the Global Launch of Hachette Book Group’s Raising Readers PSA: 10 Minutes of Reading a Day. Golden.
“In a world of noise, 10 minutes of reading a day can improve a child’s performance, communication skills, emotional well-being, and their happiness.” On July 21, Hachette Book Group’s Raising Readers PSA is launching worldwide to help children fall back in love with reading. “Books build bright futures, and Raising Readers is our shared responsibility. Encourage the kids in your life to become lifelong readers by sharing the joy of reading for enjoyment. Discover the incredible impact that just 10 minutes of reading a day can have. Please share this PSA. #RaisingReaders #ReadingIsGolden.” Reading for fun is the single biggest…
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Literacy in Community (LINC) Congratulates Mayor Mamdani and the New York City Council on Achieving a Budget that Benefits the Youngest New Yorkers
Literacy in Community (LINC) congratulates Mayor Mamdani, New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin, and the members of the New York City Council for including an unprecedented number of provisions in the New York City budget that benefit families with children from birth through five. At a time of significant fiscal constraints, New York City chose to invest in its youngest residents. Passing this budget on time demonstrates a shared commitment to giving every child the opportunity to grow, learn, and thrive. The focus on a child’s well-being before they start kindergarten recognizes the critical importance of reaching children during…
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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…
