540 - Youth, adults and families become self-sufficient
Book Bag Buddies
Casey County has an illiteracy rate of 48.7% and 35.2%, of the population age 18 years or older have less than a 9th grade education. Studies have shown early intervention is key to addressing this problem. The Family & Consumer Sciences Agent for the Cooperative Extension Service in collaboration with Casey County Extension Homemakers and the Casey County Public Library developed and implemented the Book Bag Buddies program. The first year of the project a grant of $1000 dollars was recieved from the Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association and an additional $2,500 of in-kind donations and serives were given to implement the program. Thirty-eight Book Bag Buddies were assembled. Each bag contained age appropriate, hands-on activities and information for parents and teachers. The Book Bag Buddies were then donated to the Public Library for parents and teachers to check out and use with thier children. Now in its second year the program has received state and national recognition. Additional monies have been donated to maintain the Book Bag Buddies program. Parents, who were individually polled as they visited the library, reported that the program has increased their use of the public library, increased the time they are spending reading to their children, and that they have noticed a marked difference in their childrens interest in books.