This local grant is part of $4.5 million in youth literacy grants awarded to approximately 1,000 organizations across the 43 states that Dollar General serves. Given at the beginning of the academic school year, these grants are aimed at supporting teachers, schools and organizations with resources to strengthen and enhance literacy instruction.
“Literacy Programs at the ECPS Family Resource Center are designed to bring parents and their children together to learn in a family friendly environment, placing parents at the heart of their child’s education. Parents will have the opportunity to earn their GED, learn English or simply improve literacy skills through the implementation of various face-to-face or online programs,” said Lanetta Scott, Family Resource Center Coordinator.
“Preschool children will be able to engage in a variety of developmentally appropriate, school readiness activities. Parents can gain support in reaching family and career goals, as well as benefit from a variety of family enrichment activities,” added Scott.
“By awarding these grants, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation is committed to making a meaningful impact in our local communities,” said Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s chief executive officer. “These grants provide funds to support youth literacy initiatives and educational programs throughout the communities we serve to ensure a successful academic year for students.”
Committed to helping increase the literacy skills of individuals of all ages, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded more than $127 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping nearly 7.9 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy or continued education since its inception in 1993. The Dollar General Literacy Foundation awards grants each year to nonprofit organizations, schools and libraries within a 20-mile radius of a Dollar General store or distribution center to support adult, family, summer and youth literacy programs.
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation also supports customers interested in learning how to read, speak English or prepare for the high school equivalency test. At the cash register of every Dollar General store, customers may pick up a brochure with a postage-paid reply card that can be mailed in for a referral to a local organization that offers free literacy services.
The goal of the ECPS Family Resource Center is to assist parents in becoming partners in their child's education. Focusing on the child's needs, they train parents to be advocates for their children while establishing cooperative partnerships between families, schools, and the community. The main areas of focus are childhood literacy and school readiness, parent education, and programs that support successful families.