$20,000 Awarded To Gwinnett Public Schools For Reading Program

GWINNET COUNTY, GA — Gwinnett County Public Schools have been awarded a $20,000 grant for the "Getting Ready to Read!" project as part of the Early Language and Literacy Mini Grant Program, a joint effort between the Governor’sOffice of Student Achievement and the Sandra Dunagan Deal Center for Early Language and Literacy at Georgia College.

Under the project, Gwinnett County Public Schools’ Early Learning Specialists will get children ready to read through 40 three-hour, literacy-focused events held at GCPS Title I elementary schools or retail centers in low-income communities. During the events, Gwinnett County Public Library (GCPL) staff will lead story time activities designed to promote children’s language development through music and dramatic storytelling. GCPL staff will also model these interactions for parents and provide resources that parents can use at home with their children.

The Early Language and Literacy Mini Grant Program, a joint effort between the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement and the Sandra Dunagan Deal Center for Early Language and Literacy at Georgia College, supports partnerships in projects targeting the language and literacy development needs of children ages zero to eight. For this grant round, traditional public schools, charter schools, school districts, nonprofit organizations, and community organizations could apply for grant funds. Eligible organizations could apply as a single entity and receive between $5,000 and $20,000. Alternatively, they could apply as multiple entities – allowing them to maximize the scope of their projects and receive between $5,000 and $20,000 for each entity included in the application. Therefore, some projects received more than $20,000. However, the funding will support multiple agencies. The summaries below include the applicant(s) involved in each project as well as a description of each project’s goals.

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