Dolly Parton’s Dollywood Foundation recently made a $4.5-million investment to support early childhood literacy through a new partnership with the Nashville Public Library (NPL). The contribution will launch the Begin Bright program, designed to help kids in Nashville to begin kindergarten with strong reading skills.
The program will provide each Nashville childcare center with a “Little Library” stocked with books from Dolly’s Imagination Library, along with resources from NPL and a digital app offering on-demand literacy training for parents and teachers.
The Nashville Public Library Foundation President, Shawn Bakker, expressed gratitude for the star’s historic donation, calling it “transformational.” NPL plans to roll out the Begin Bright program in spring 2025, and the Foundation is working toward a $20-million goal to make sure the program is sustainable.
Source: BILLBOARD