LINC LETTER Winter 2022
Literacy Summit Calls for a Collective Commitment to Education Justice On Thursday, December 9, 2021, LINC staff were proud to participate in a virtual Literacy Summit hosted by the New York City Department of Education (DOE), in collaboration with Advocates for Children of New York and the ARISE Coalition.
A sparkly pink unicorn joins LINC for D.E.E.R. (Drop Everything and Enjoy Reading) at an East Harlem holiday program.
East Harlem Families Welcome LINC to the Area On Saturday, December 11 at 1:00pm, LINC held its highly anticipated inaugural read aloud program in East Harlem! Located at Franklin Plaza on First Avenue, this holiday book giveaway inspired a warm, fuzzy feeling in many East Harlem residents. After a day full of connecting with parents and community members through holiday crafts, storytelling, book giveaways and other literacy activities, we did it again! We made East Harlem families feel seen and cared about just as we had hoped. We could not have asked for a better response to our first event in this community. “Today I saw something here that I haven’t seen since I was a child. To watch you read was phenomenal. I want to say thank you to all of you for what you’re doing in the community... I’m so over social injustice. Books are a need!” - Suzette Williams, Franklin Plaza Board Member Thank you to East Harlem for the warm welcome and Happy New Year to all! Look out for our 2022 programs.
This Literacy Summit brought together diverse stakeholders, both within and outside the DOE, to strengthen their efforts to advance equitable literacy and pursue education justice. Respected thought leaders in the field like Lacey Robinson, CEO of UnboundEd, and Chancellor Meisha Porter explored current challenges in literacy and spoke of solutions that are diverse, evidence-based, and culturally relevant. Equitable literacy is essential for democracy, and we have a shared responsibility to protect it. To learn more, visit: www.lincnyc.org/blog and join the collective call to reach more readers.
LINC’s Growing Movement VIP Voices: A Inspirational Series LINC’s Very Involved Parents (VIPs), are actively engaged leaders in their communities and we could not do our work without them! VIPs seek out new opportunities to inspire their own children and the children of others. They promote the joy of reading and local literacy events to their neighbors, and together they form a larger network of support for each other. In 2022, LINC will launch a new eight part video interview series, VIP Voices, in which we highlight the experiences of eight influential literacy advocates. Follow Reishmi Brijmohan as she recalls building connections with the parents of her community before becoming LINC’s Parent Engagement Coordinator in South Jamaica, Queens, “My favorite part of being a VIP with LINC has been… showing [parents] that they can do it by themselves with the tools they have at home.”
Listen to Deon Daniels describe how LINC’s virtual workshops helped her family during the COVID-19 shutdowns, “Overall, it was a great way to check in with my children emotionally and physically, as well as motivate them when we are reopening.” Each VIP testimonial will dive deeper into the life of a LINC family, detailing their stories. Hear their stories and honor them with us. Stay tuned for VIP Voices on our website and YouTube channel, Literacy Inc. (https://www.youtube.com/user/lincnyc1).
Civic Corps Members Spend their Day of Service Creating Video Content for LINC Literacy, Inc. (LINC) was honored to be one of eight partner organizations selected as a host site during the NY Civic Corps 2022 MLK Day of Service. Thirteen Civic Corps members chose to dedicate their service time to LINC and joined us for a 4-hour program on Monday, January 17th. In an effort to continue to bring storytime home for our families, members participated in a read aloud project to create more content for our YouTube channel. Participants shared personal stories about how reading impacted their childhoods and quickly chose meaningful stories for their read aloud recordings. Chad chose Bats in the Library because his hometown, Austin TX, is known for the summer bat migration; Keilin chose Kira the Koala because
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LINC LETTER - WINTER 2022
she liked the alliteration with her own name; Elaina chose Curious George because of it’s timeless appeal and her belief in the power of inquisitiveness; Gema chose I Choose to Calm my Anger in hopes that some child might hear that story and better understand how to handle their own emotions. Each Civic Corp member brought their own passion and perspective to the project resulting in 13 wonderful new read-aloud stories for LINC families on our YouTube channel.
LINC’s Collective Impact ‘Tis the Season to Support Little Readers in South Jamaica On Saturday, December 11, the South Jamaica Reads Initiative (SJQ) spread a whole lot of cheer, along with the joy of reading, at the annual Holidays on the Avenue festival in South Jamaica, Queens. The SJQ Reads Initiative gave away over 100 books and hosted read-alouds with their partners Jumpstart and the Queens library. Stories and songs were inspired by LINC’s animal of the month, D.E.E.R. (Drop Everything Enjoy Reading) and staff were delighted to see a graduate of LINC’s Very Involved Parent (VIP) academy, Cemal Williams, under Santa
Claus’ beard. Cemal, a former PS48Q parent, now has a seven month old daughter and remains committed to literacy advocacy in South Jamaica. Also on that day, SJQ participated in “Tis the Season,” a lively celebration organized by the Downtown Jamaica BID to reunite neighbors and inspire community support. It was a wonderful opportunity for attendees to learn about the NYC Reads Initiative and pledge to become part of the official NYC Reads movement. By taking the Reads Pledge, community members agree to giving active literacy support to the families
in East New York, East Harlem, and South Jamaica and commit themselves to the success of the children in their area.
Moving Through and Beyond COVID: How Positive Childhood Experiences Mitigate the Impact of Trauma Join City’s First Readers (CFR) online Tuesday, February 8 at 12:00pm to learn about the City Council’s only early literacy initiative and how coordinated, community driven pre-reading support protects children from the effects of trauma and gives them the tools to thrive. Hear from literacy experts and learn why City’s First Readers is more important than ever to build a strong, equitable, and vibrant city. For more information, contact Meredith Jones at cfr@lincnyc.org, and visit our website citysfirsreaders.com Thank you to outgoing council members Stephen Levin (District 33) and Antonio Reynoso (District 34) for championing CFR since its inception. Their leadership made it possible to serve over one million families a year. We wish you the best in your new roles!
LINC LETTER - WINTER 2022
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LINC’s Development Welcoming New Staff to the Team LINC is thrilled to welcome Jenice Zayas, our Parent Engagement Manager for East Harlem, to the team. Jenice is a native New Yorker, a nature lover, and a proud single mom of three boys who has called East Harlem home for the majority of her life. Her passion for public service has been influenced by her lived experiences and she has dedicated over 30 years to serving children, elders, and families. She is passionate about work that leads to the creation of equitable, high-quality opportunities that support marginalized and traditionally underrepresented communities. Also new to the team is LINC’s Operations Manager, Emile Keller. Emile is a graduate of Binghamton University and holds a masters degree from the John Jay college of Criminal Justice. He formerly worked as the operations manager at a reentry organization that helps young adults, ages 16 to 24, who had an encounter with the justice system. Emile is passionate about social service work specifically focused on disadvantaged communities and aspires to enter the legal field at some point.
Literacy Inc. P.O. Box 822 Katonah, NY 10536
*temporary mailing address When a child reads, a community succeeds!
www.lincnyc.org • info@lincnyc.org 212-620-5462
LINC has BIG LOVE for Our Donors! Join Us Tuesday, February 8 7:00pm Please join us on Tuesday, February 8 at 7:00pm for a donor appreciation virtual event featuring chef JOEY CAMPANARO (of Little Owl restaurant) and his book, BIG LOVE COOKING! Invitation to come via email, including registration link. Questions? Contact Kate Dorman, Donor Relations Manager at kdorman@lincnyc.org or 212-620-5462 x144.