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Overview: This joint-club district grant application is in support of The Imagination Library of the Prescott Area (ILPA) program. It is being submitted by the Rotary Clubs of 1. Prescott, 2. Prescott SunUp and 3. Prescott-Frontier. The Imagination Library of the Prescott Area (ILPA) is a local non-profit affiliate implementing the Dolly Parton Imagination Library (DPIL) serving 22 Zip codes within Yavapai County Arizona - I. E. ILPA serves all of Yavapai County except the Verde Valley and Bagdad which maintain their own Imagination Library affiliates.
ILPA provides age-appropriate books mailed monthly to children aged 0-5 that have been enrolled by their parents. This is essentially a "Book of the Month Club" for this age group. 2024-2025 will be the sixth year that a Rotary District 5495 district grant has supported this program along with matching funds from Rotary Clubs located in Prescott.
Needs: The underlying need addressed by this program is the improvement of general literacy and communication skills of young children. By engaging in this program, young children, ages 0-5, acquire reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills that improve their readiness for formal schooling and establish everyday requirements for normal communication. The program prescribes expectations - a lesson plan - on the part of parents and caregivers in presenting and interacting with children as they together engage in reading and discussing the books. Parents talking and reading with their infants, toddlers, and preschoolers every day is critical for healthy brain development and long-term learning.
Timeline: ILPA is an ongoing program entering its sixth year of operation and continuous support by the Rotary clubs located in Prescott.
Funding: During its initial five years through June 2023, district grants and club matching funds continue to be the single largest contribution to ILPA. The Rotary clubs have also provided funding in addition to that required of the district grant match. ILPA has also received grants from the Arizona/Yavapai County Community Foundation, The United Way of Yavapai County and Read on Arizona (Covid Relief Federal Funds). ILPA also started to conduct its own annual fundraiser this past February. Donations from individuals, community organizations and businesses are ongoing.
Program Description: Children ages 0-5 receive books mailed to their homes when they are registered online with DPIL (>imaginationlibrary.com<) either by their parents or an ILPA volunteer. In Yavapai County, ILPA currently serves over 2500 children per month at a cost of approximately $2.20 per book per child or $5600 monthly. This expense includes both the costs of shipping and for the book itself. ILPA's current rate of subscription increase nets 60-70 additional children registered and books distributed per month.
Marketing Rotary: Representatives from the ILPA board and its volunteers have made numerous presentations to community groups. These presentations provide an overview of the program, its current status and sources of funding. In addition, ILPA maintains its own website. ILPA representatives also attend community events that involve families with young children. In all of these situations the role of the local Rotary clubs and Rotarians are recognized and highlighted. In many instances, Rotary club members are involved and in attendance.
Rotarian Involvement:
Rotarians participate in the following manner: 1. As members of the ILPA board of directors 2. Assisting with additional fundraising efforts such as grant writing 3. Attending and assisting at ILPA promotional events held by other organizations. 4. Making promotional/marketing presentations to local funding organizations. 5 Volunteering to plan and execute ILPA fundraising events. 6. Participating in individual club fundraising events that provide matching funds for the district grant.
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