“Books became our language. Books became our home.” Yuyi Morales, Dreamers LINC’s Summer Reading Everywhere Program kicked off with LINC’s participation in The National Summer Learning Week (July 8th-13th). Dreamers by Yuyi Morales, an award-winning book that portrays a family of immigrants who find refuge at the library and a home in books, was read aloud in English and Spanish, in seven libraries across the New York City. We turned the city into a literacy-rich zone that powered more than 1,212 parents and 2,316 children to read 3,764 books over the summer. From public housing gardens in East New York…

LETTER TO THE NEW YORK TIMES To the Editor: Re:Ocasio-Cortez Unveils Legislative Plan to Tackle ‘Root Causes’ of Poverty September 25, 2019 While Ocasio-Cortez’s anti-poverty initiative “A Just Society” is a bold step towards tackling the ‘Root Causes” of poverty, it omits a critical and foundational factor: early literacy. If we are going to address the systems that are the root causes of poverty, we cannot ignore literacy. Literacy is vital to poverty alleviation. Early literacy unlocks opportunities in upward mobility, educational achievement, health, and economic development. Right now we face an invisible literacy crisis that disproportionately affects the poor,…

LINC says farewell and best wishes to Board Member Will Estilo and welcomes new Board Member, Nasreen Davidson! LINC’s Board of Directors sets the pace and the policies that guide the organization. We are very grateful to Board Member Will Estilo, who stepped off the board in early June, 2019. Will’s professional obligations with Deloitte are taking him and his family to Japan. He will remain involved with LINC through his work with the Finance and the Audit Committees. All of his board colleagues and the LINC staff unite to say “Thank you” for the energy, enthusiasm for LINC’s mission,…

Five years ago, the NYC City Council took an important first step towards preparing children to start school ready to learn by creating an early childhood literacy initiative: City’s First Readers.City’s First Readers is a coalition of eleven NYC organizations working across all five boroughs to provide fun and informative programs for families with children from birth to age 5―and LINC is the lead partner, coordinating this citywide effort. City’s First Readers wants every NYC family to understand the importance of building strong literacy foundations before children start school. The family is a child’s first teacher; all the things parents do with their…

On June 13th, LINC celebrated the children who placed first at their school in overall hours of reading in LINC’s 2019 T.I.G.E.R. Read-a-thon. In partnership with the Bronx Zoo, Wildlife Conservation Society, LINC hosted a ceremony at the Congo exhibit in the Flaherty Learning Center to recognize their achievement. Attendees got the chance to meet fellow Read-a-thon winners and hear from Howie Minsky, who read from his “Conserve Our Wild” book series. Our second guest reader was Julio Aquino, a Wild Animal Keeper at The Bronx Zoo, who grew up in the surrounding neighborhood. Participants left with certificates, new books, and passes that will…