Started in 2010, Born to Read is the signature project of the Rotary Club of Traverse Bay Twilight. Our mission is to promote early literacy by spreading the word about the importance of reading, talking, and singing with children everyday starting at birth – and even during pregnancy.
Born to Read is an all volunteer effort, made possible by working closely with collaborating partners, including: the Traverse Area District Library, Healthy Futures at Munson Medical Center, the Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District’s Early Childhood programs, Great Start and 5toOne, and Read Aloud 15 Minutes, as well as other community organizations who share our mission.
Thanks to our partners, Born to Read is an all volunteer project.
Since 2010, the Rotary Club of Traverse Bay Twilight has collaborated with:
Delivers introductory Born to Read post card with tips for reading with babies to expectant parents in last trimester visit, followed by Welcome Baby packet with free book to parents of newborns. Healthy Futures also sends texts with age appropriate developmental information to parents of children birth to five.
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Provides tote bag with free book to new parents and to families with children birth to three participating in the library’s summer reading program. Also offers weekly texts with early literacy tips and fun activities to parents of children birth to three. TADL hosts Born to Read training workshops, meetings, and other activities.
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Contributes expertise and programs that support parents of young children and provides written materials, translation, and training to help achieve Born to Read goals.
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Provides close to home neighborhood centers with play groups and other activities for families with young children. 5toOne works closely with Born to Read to provide literacy information, books, and volunteers to encourage reading with children right from the start.
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National campaign that brings partners together to spread the word that reading aloud is the single most important activity that parents can do to prepare their child for success in school and life. Read Aloud provides Born to Read with campaign materials, statistics, and outreach strategies.
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As our work expands, other organizations and groups are joining us in reaching out to the community with our message, including:
While we are an all-volunteer project, we do have expenses – books, printing, supplies, training, website development – to a name a few. Fortunately our community has been most generous in supporting our work.
We are grateful for the financial contributions provided by:
In addition, the following businesses provide in-kind contributions that help keep our expenses down:
When Born to Read started in 2010, our Rotary Club didn’t have a mechanism for applying for grants or receiving tax-deductible contributions in support of our work. To purchase books and supplies, we collected money in exchange for bookmarks in front of grocery stores and raised funds from our members. It soon became apparent that if we wanted the program to be successful and sustained over time, we needed to access sources of funds beyond our small Club.
In 2015, Club members incorporated the Rotary Club of Traverse Bay Twilight Foundation as a vehicle for financially supporting our literacy projects. In 2016, we began seeking grants and tax-deductible contributions to
Your tax-deductible donations in support of Born to Read are gratefully accepted.