Raising Readers is a non-profit organization registered in Iowa and exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Raising Readers is a collaboration of members with an elected Board of Directors, officers and committees. Location: Raising Readers is currently housed in the office of the Director of Volunteer Services at Mary Greeley Medical Center. Raising Readers directly serves families in Story County. We intend to share our message statewide and worldwide and look forward to collaborating with leaders in other communities who want to improve early literacy.   Our Name: “Raising Readers in Story County” describes what we want to happen as a result of our efforts. Our coalition works with families and care and education providers who are young children’s first teachers. Raising Readers utilizes curriculum and training of nationally recognized model programs, such as Baby TALK and Reach Out and Read. History: Raising Readers began as an Iowa Stories 2000 project, was incorporated as Baby Talk in 2004, and was renamed Raising Readers in Story County in 2007. Read more ...   Programs: Raising Readers programs are based on research and best practice and designed to optimize children’s growth in early literacy. We connect with families when their babies are born. Until children are about eight years old, we continue to offer language and literacy education and support to parents, other adults serving children, and community professionals and support groups. We promote activities like daily reading, talking a lot with children, and building strong parent-child relationships in order to nurture each child’s development and build a foundation for proficiency in speaking, listening, reading and writing. Early Literacy (zerotothree/BrainWonders) Why Early Childhood Matters The Development of the Human Brain: Implications for Parenting   Funding: Raising Readers' early initiatives are primarily funded by contributions from member organizations, grants, and individuals. Future plans include supplementing the budget with additional reliable resources in order to maintain programs, provide books for children, and hire a staff person.