Emmy-nominated storyteller. Artist. Director. Visionary. World-class content creator. Entertainer. Proud Venezuelan. Entrepreneur. Bilingual mom. Creative force. On a mission to enchant and inspire children with a world of culture.  Susie Jaramillo, co-founder of Encantos, is all of these things and more! We are honored and excited to present her with the Champion for Children Award […]

Join LINC and other leading early literacy advocates across the city in hearing how mayoral candidates would prioritize education equity. This is the time to insist on bold leadership acknowledging literacy as a civil right. Register Now! Education equity starts with children’s access to quality early education. Early literacy programming is the most effective tool we have to improve overall educational achievement, which is essential […]

City’s First Readers was pleased to join the Women’s Caucus of the New York City Council on the steps of City Hall to advocate for the FY26 city budget. The Caucus has identified childcare and early education as one of its top four budget priorities. LINC, as the facilitating partner and designated representative of City’s […]

Don’t miss our Growing Little Readers events in gardens around NYC. Join us to learn, play, and win prizes. It’s free! City’s First Readers is bringing early literacy outdoors! This FREE program offers toddlers and their families a chance to explore nature while developing essential early learning skills. Through interactive activities, children will discover the […]

Campaign celebrates diverse representation and inclusion in children’s literature NEW YORK, NY, April 2, 2025 – Literacy in Community (LINC), an early childhood literacy nonprofit, and Fidelis Care, a New York State health plan, announced the fifth year of their collaborative Diversity Through Literacy campaign. Started in 2021, Diversity Through Literacy is an annual campaign recognizing […]

As you may have seen in recent headlines, the results of the 2024 Nation’s Report Card are deeply concerning.  The data paints a sobering picture of the state of education in our country, with reading proficiency scores plummeting to levels not seen in decades. It also reveals a stark disparity based on socioeconomic status: just 34% of fourth-graders from the […]

LINC is proud to be an official charity partner of the TCS New York City Marathon for the third year in a row! Our programs run in all five boroughs of NYC – just like the marathon. Run with Team LINC and your steps will fund book distributions and reading programs in high-need neighborhoods across […]

Last week, members of the LINC Team donned their tee-shirts and headed to Albany to advocate for the creation of a line item in the state budget dedicated to early literacy. There are millions allocated for adult literacy, but shockingly, there is nothing specific to early childhood literacy. They stood on the Million Dollar staircase, […]

Dear City’s First Readers Partners, Staff, and Communities, From our inception, City’s First Readers has been unwavering in our commitment to supporting all families—because every child deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive. We work hand in hand with caregivers to create environments where young children feel safe, valued, and supported in their development. […]

This past weekend, advocates for early childhood literacy across the State of New York joined forces in Albany to empower and educate communities of color and bring their bold visions to life at the 54th annual New York State Association of Black and Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislators (NYSABPRHAL). LINC was there, actively galvanizing […]

At Literacy in Community (LINC), we believe in a strong start and we were thrilled to offer a unique professional development opportunity to our Reads colleagues at the beginning of the new year. Reads schools and early learning centers across all three Reads’ neighborhoods: East Harlem, South Jamaica, and East New York were invited to Weaving […]

Literacy in Community (LINC) is pleased to announce that two of our team members will be speaking at the 54th Annual International Bilingual Education Conference in Atlanta, GA from February 19-22, 2025. This year’s conference, Multilingualism for a United Global Society is a timely topic.  Literacy in Community (LINC) is pleased to announce that LINC’s Director […]

The literacy crisis in New York demands immediate and bold action, and at LINC we envision a future where literacy knows no limits. On Saturday, February 15, Literacy in Community (LINC) will join the passionate elected officials, business leaders, advocates, and community members who are dedicated to empowering and educating communities of color at the […]

Literacy in Community (LINC) is pleased to present a series of three workshops that will provide partners with a deeper understanding of childhood trauma and the developmental impacts on young children. This training will help partners understand risk and protective factors and ways to better support families exposed to traumatic events. These workshops are facilitated […]

Save the date! This January, Literacy in Community (LINC) will offer a professional development opportunity for those who work in Reads Schools and early learning centers across Reads’ three neighborhoods: East Harlem, South Jamaica, and East New York. It’s called Weaving it all Together: Using the Reading Rope to Drive Joyful Family Engagement in Literacy […]

The holiday season wouldn’t be complete without a literacy celebration that includes everyone, and in Staten Island, Home Depot is helping LINC build little learners. On Wednesday, December 18, LINC held a winter stories program at P.S. 18 in West Brighton with the generous support of the Home Depot, located at 545 Targee Street. Home Depot […]

Books are an incredible gift – they help us comprehend the world, find our voice, and become active participants in our communities. That’s why, with your support, LINC helps provide books for families to create their own home libraries. And it’s because of donors like you that the LINC team is able to handpick books […]