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South Mississippi Regional Library Receives Grant

Tuesday, August 31, 2021 2:28 PM | Anonymous

The South Mississippi Regional Library system is pleased to be a recipient of a Save the Children Community Engagement grant in the amount of $20,000.


Founded in 1919, Save the Children works in over 100 countries to give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn, and protection from harm. They currently serve almost 900 children in Marion County. The grant funds were awarded for community-wide initiatives that support Kindergarten Readiness and 3rd –Grade Proficiency in Reading and Math. “We have been partners with Save the Children for several years now. We were overjoyed to discover this new opportunity to serve our community,” states Library Director, Ryda Worthy.


The grant enabled the Library to offer Summer Library programs to children ages 5 and older in Marion and Jefferson Davis counties, including: live and virtual events, free books, take home activity kits, and prizes for reading and participation. In addition to this grant, the Library also received a Gift-in-Kind donation from Save the Children of toys and books, valued at over $15,000. Jackie Miller, Library Supervisor in Jefferson Davis County, states, “We have had the best Summer Library Program in years and a lot of the reason is due to their [Save the Children] help. Their help came at a time when the children in our community needed it most. Because of COVID, [our local] schools only did virtual learning for a year, and I know the children have fallen behind. I believe this year’s SLP has helped to make up some of the lost time reading.”


The other focus of the grant was a Kindergarten Readiness program. As part of this program, the Columbia-Marion County Public Library distributed 300 Kindergarten Readiness kits to families with children entering Kindergarten in the next two school years. Online coaching and additional free resources were available for the families to aid them in preparing their child for Kindergarten.


The South Mississippi Regional Library, serving Marion and Jefferson Davis counties, with libraries located in Columbia, Bassfield, and Prentiss, provides resources and information for the educational and recreational needs of its customers. Founded in 1912, the Library has been offering a Summer Library Program for over 65 years. The system is supported by the cities of Columbia, Prentiss, Bassfield, and the Marion and Jeffer-son Davis Counties.


Submitted by:

Ryda Worthy

Library Director

South Mississippi Regional Library



        

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