Traducción al español aquí As part of LINC, you belong to a growing community of people deeply committed to your success, and now our literacy programs are more accessible than ever!  LINC’s app is officially live and here to help you and your family on a journey to reading readiness.  The colorful and playful graphic elements reflect the LINC brand and make the app easy to use and engaging. From storytime to parent workshops, find family-friendly programs for you and your little one, explore events with other caregivers, and stay in the loop with your community!  LINC is with you…

On Wednesday, October 29, Literacy in Community (LINC) families will gather virtually to celebrate one of our favorite reading holidays, Jumpstart’s Read for the Record, in our own unique, sweet way. LINC’s online program, The Chocolate Seed: Learning to Grow features guest author, Nettie Atkisson, a chocolate educator, a photographer, and an avid literacy advocate. Nettie is the author of The Chocolate Seed, the chosen book for this program, and Boba and Butter’s Chocolate Adventure, which she read at a LINC program earlier this year. We salute all of the Read for the Record participants around the world. You are making history!…

Upper Manhattan Childhood Connect (UMECC) has had an exciting summer and early fall!  Thanks to the incredible collaboration with Literacy in Community’s (LINC) FACE team, frequent community presence, our CBO partners, and clinical partners at NYP, we have seen considerable growth in our engagement with families over the past few months. Compared to FY25, on average, our Ambassadors are supporting three times the number of families each month this fiscal year. We held our first UMECC/CHALK Jr pop-up event at Alianza Dominicana on September 12th-an initiative that supports the overlap of food insecurity and early childhood developmental needs through educational…

On Sunday, November 2, Team LINC will join thousands of athletes for the 54th 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, in one of our very own communities, East Harlem as we shower our team with love and gratitude! Look for the LINC logo at 1st Avenue & 120th Street between 11:15am-2:15pm. This is LINC’s third year as an official charity partner and we could not be more excited for this iconic…

Literacy in Community (LINC) works in partnership with local community-based organizations and other early literacy program providers to serve New York City’s families and children from birth through five with quality literacy programming. Collaboration is baked into our mission and our methods of mobilizing communities around early literacy. On Wednesday, October 15, LINC’s Chief Program Officer, Laura Walsh, and Senior Director of Early Literacy, Josh Barocas, were pleased to attend the Leading Literacy Summit: Turning Research into Results for Every Student hosted by the Science of Reading Center at SUNY New Paltz. They were especially excited to hear the panel on…

It’s that time of year again! Meet us in Manhattan and grab a glass! On Wednesday, November 19, from 6:00pm – 8:00pm, Literacy in Community’s Professional Advisory Council (PAC) will host its annual Books & Brews Fundraiser at the Continental Bar and Lounge downtown. Raise a glass to little readers across New York City and bring a book of your own to swap during the evening! We are thrilled to host this crowd-pleaser at a new location, Continental Bar and Lounge is located at 82 Beaver Street* in Lower Manhattan. Bring one or two gently loved books and swap them…

On Friday, October 10, families from the five boroughs celebrated community during City’s First Readers (CFR) and RISE x Penguin Workshop’s Fall Reading Festival at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum. 132 families from across New York City participated in this free, fun, and unique collaboration in honor of RISE’s 5th birthday. Featuring 15 passionate children’s book authors and illustrators from Penguin’s imprint RISE, the joyful festival included author-led read-alouds and related hands-on activities such as ‘First Conversations” series author Jessica Ralli and illustrator Isabel Roxas leading youngsters in a portrait activity; Kari Percival inviting kids to greet, hold, and observe worms at…

From October 8-9, 2025, LINC’s Chief Program Officer, Laura Walsh and Senior Director of Early Literacy, Josh Barocas joined other early childhood professionals for two days of learning and inspiration at the annual Zero to Three Learn Conference in Baltimore, MD. It was a chance for Literacy in Community (LINC) to share our insights and to network with other experts who use cutting-edge research in the early childhood field. This year’s theme was empowering early childhood professionals through community, a topic near and dear to our heart at LINC. Panel topics included infant mental health, child welfare, early childhood education,…

Congratulations to beloved author, LINC champion, and Canticos co-founder Susie Jaramillo on being honored with the McDonald’s Metro Awards, Premios Héroes! This recognition celebrates leaders making a difference in shaping the future of our Hispanic youth—and we couldn’t think of a more deserving hero. On Thursday, September 18, LINC’s Deputy Executive Director, Eliana Godoy, Chief of Advocacy and Community Mobilization, Albania Jimenez, and Community Engagement Specialist, Jennifer Patrone joined Susie for the award ceremony at Above the Heights at Radio Tower in Washington Heights. Premios Héroes recognizes inspiring heroes who are driving change in our communities and was designed to…

Get ready for a magical day of books, bonding, and big smiles! Families with little ones from birth through age 5 are invited to join LINC and City’s First Readers at the Fall Reading Festival on October 10th at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum! This special, free event promises to bring excitement and learning in celebration of RISE x Penguin Workshop’s fifth anniversary. RISE works to publish impactful stories for the youngest readers, with a mission to empower children ages 0-5 with authentic, relevant, and elegant books. Their work naturally aligns with LINC’s efforts in chairing City’s First Readers to ensure that children from all backgrounds have a solid…

“The Kingsbridge Library opening on Sundays is more than just expanded hours; it’s an open door to literacy and community. Families now have more opportunities to read together, explore new stories, and connect with one another. LINC is proud to continue our partnership with the library to make these moments possible because literacy is essential to community strength. At LINC, we believe that when a child reads, a community succeeds, and Sunday openings ensure more families can share in that success.”–Laura Walsh, Chief Program Officer, LINC  Who:  ● NYC Council Member Eric Dinowitz  ● Congressman Adriano Espaillat  ● Bronx Borough…

LINC is proud to play a key role in shaping the future of early literacy in New York City. Working alongside the Center for Public Research & Leadership, the NYC Department of Early Education, and Dr. Alan L. Mendelsohn (NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYC Health + Hospitals, Founding Director and Principal Investigator of PlayReadVIP), among other literacy advocates, we are expanding the promise of NYC Reads. Now, with the Early Childhood Design Sprint, NYC Reads is turning their attention to the first five years of life—where reading readiness truly begins, and where LINC’s expertise lies. This focus on early…

Literacy in Community (LINC) is proud to return as an official charity partner for the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon! We’re hard at work helping our team train for an exhilarating 26.2-mile journey through the five boroughs of New York City. Joining seasoned runners from across the world, the LINC squad will undertake this limits-testing race on Sunday, November 2. 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…

The Conversations We’re Proposing Literacy in Community (LINC) is excited to share that we are in the running to present at SXSW EDU 2026 with three different proposed sessions—and we need your help during the community voting phase to strengthen our chances of being selected. If chosen, these sessions will bring LINC’s community-based literacy vision to an audience of educators, leaders, and innovators from across the country. Each proposal reflects a different facet of our work—connecting schools, families, and communities to ensure every child can read. How to Vote for LINC Community voting for SXSW EDU is open August 5–24, 2025. Every…

We’re thrilled to share some exciting news — our annual adventure Reading on the Rails was recently featured on BronxNet Today, highlighting our mission to bring books and storytelling directly into the hands of young readers across the city! ???? Watch Our Segment Now at: https://tinyurl.com/bxnet25 We were honored to have reporters from BronxNet join our families during their excursion from their local train station at Kingsbridge Road all the way down to Coney Island. All along the way, we read stories and shared fun activities as a reminder to families across the city that reading is fun, and learning…

We did it! On Tuesday, July 22, over 300 Literacy in Community (LINC) families read their way across the five boroughs during LINC’s 11th Annual Reading on the Rails event, showing the world that reading can take place anywhere.  A sea of families in blue t-shirts streamed into Coney Island’s Stillwell Station, coming from almost every train line (and the Staten Island Ferry!) to make their way to this year’s final destination, the Coney Island Boardwalk.  At LINC, we know that reading that can take place anywhere – on the subway or bus; in bodegas and markets; at the laundromat…

 ****Media Advisory****    Literacy in Community (LINC) Announces Annual Reading on the Rails Summer Adventure: Sea LINC Read on Tuesday, July 22!  NEW YORK, NY, July 14, 2025 – Whether you “Take the A Train” or a harbor cruise on the Staten Island ferry, you will be in good company on July 22. That’s the day Literacy in Community (LINC), a leading early literacy nonprofit, will hold its 11th annual Reading on the Rails event. This year’s motif is: Sea LINC Read, in recognition of our destination – Coney Island. With the support of lovino Enterprises,* this city-wide reading adventure demonstrates in real…

June 30th marked the conclusion of City’s First Readers’ 10th year serving families across New York City with early literacy programming. It’s been a decade of great impact and momentum for City’s First Readers (CFR) and we are incredibly grateful to the  New York City Council for its ongoing commitment to our collaboration. The dynamic coalition of 17 partner organizations that comprise CFR is stronger than ever and consistently moving the needle forward on early literacy. CFR member organizations have built strong, lasting partnerships with leading cultural institutions such as botanical gardens and children’s museums, facilitated health fairs in conjunction…

Last week, LINC kicked off one of our Upper Manhattan programs with an inspiring new partner, the Family Enrichment Center of Washington Heights and Inwood (FEC), and once again opened doors to additional resources for families who live in this community.  FEC graciously hosted the event and provided refreshments through their partnership with a local staple, Café Bloom. They also generously donated five Target gift cards which we raffled off during the event, generating enthusiasm and engagement with LINC programming. During LINC’s Reading Discovery program, LINC staff took a moment to celebrate our Champion Parents by presenting them with certificates in…