Dolly Parton Imagination Library Community Partner Information Pack 2021 - United Way Australia
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Dolly Parton Imagination Library
Community Partner Information Pack
2021
In this pack… 1. Who is United Way Australia & what we do 2. Why focus on early literacy 3. About the Dolly Parton Imagination Library (DPIL) 4. DPIL Implementation Case study overviews 5. Program costing
United Way Australia
Global Purpose: United Way improves lives by mobilising the caring power of communities around the
world to advance the common good.
WHY
HOW
What defines us: Better
• Passionate about children’s development, with specific Community
Outcomes
interest in early literacy Engagement
for Children
• Build trust in the community through collaborative
engagement WHAT
• Use evidence-based programs and measure their social Impact
impact Programs
A tailored & targeted approach, bringing the right partners with the right evidenced-
based programs into communities to enable sustainable change to children’s outcomes
Early years (0 – 8 years) most critical period
to prepare for life success We unite community, business, philanthropy,
WHY government, and social purpose organisations
We believe early literacy is a foundational HOW to improve outcomes for children
key to life success. Better
Community
Outcomes for Experienced in ‘grass-roots’ work and place-
Engagement
Children based approaches
WHAT
Impact
Programs
Collaborate with community partners and support programs to build better outcomes
Recognise parents & carers as the ‘first teachers’ and provide useful tools
Improve pre-literacy and build skills and capacity for children to be ready for learn
United Way’s point of view Children who start unprepared to read, are unprepared to learn, and are more likely to leave school unprepared to succeed in life. We believe the best way to address this crisis is by working in collaboration with community, business, philanthropy and government.
Why early literacy: research and evidence
• 50% of language learned by 3 years of age
• 90% of brain development occurs by age of 5, therefore early intervention critical
• Access to books in home contribute to additional years of academic achievement
• Children with access to at least 20 books in the home reach an overall higher level of educational attainment
than those without, regardless of the parent’s education, occupation, and socioeconomic status
• Children not reading proficiently by Grade 4, are four times more likely to drop out of school prior to
graduation
• Low literacy linked to lower wages, standards of living and impaired health outcomes
• Poor literacy skills are associated with higher rates of welfare dependency, lower self-esteem, substance abuse,
and teenage pregnancy.
In response to ongoing decline in literacy and early childhood outcomes, the Dolly Parton Imagination Library was
licensed by UWA in Australia. This is a highly effective global book distribution program which has provided over
120 million free books in homes and increasing a culture of reading in the home. Over the past 5years we have
enrolled over 10,000 children in Australia and provided over 200,000 children’s books and reading tips for parents.
Typical education investment profile
Cost per capita
& perceived
return
0 18+
Age
Why we focus on the Early Years
About the Dolly Parton Imagination Library (DPIL)
United Way’s Literacy Program through DPIL
• An Imagination Library brings the magic of a library into the home
• with the gift of a book
• every month
“Without these books arriving each month, we probably wouldn't have
started reading bedtime stories or get excited when a new book arrived in the
• before school begins, mail box”. DPIL Family NSW
• supporting parents as their child’s first and most important teacher
• taking a proven first step towards much more in a child’s life.
How the Dolly Parton Imagination Library differentiates
• Delivers to the home; higher number of literacy touchpoints (60 for child aged 0-5)
• Selection of children and families based on AEDC data and partner referrals and reaching most vulnerable
communities
• Proactive in identifying enrolments – outward facing
• Opportunity to expand to non vulnerable communities
• Addresses cognitive and behavioural aspects of early learning; sounds, vowels as well as sitting still, concentration etc
• Supports building parent capacity – child’s first teacher
• Offers linkage channels to our partners eg. early learning centres
• Extends from reading to using imagination, play etc to develop early learning capacity
• Low cost intervention
• Book selection committee – early learning educators, authors etcCase Studies • Rotary Clubs of Illawarra- Wollongong region, NSW • Save The Children- Doomadgee, QLD • Macquarie Business Park Community Partnership- Ryde, NSW • Communities for Children & Business Community- Bendigo, VIC • Tamworth Council - Tamworth, NSW • Benevolent Society – Acacia Ridge, Browns Plains & Beaudesert, QLD • School Readiness Project – Department of Education, VIC To find out current locations please refer to the DPIL Australia map on our website www.imaginationlibrary.com.au
Rotary Clubs of Illawarra DPIL
• Brought together 11 local Rotary clubs across Wollongong and south to Kiama.
The clubs contributed funds and worked together to start the project.
• First children registered in Feb 2014. Reaching over 400+ children so far and 12,000+ books
• Partnered with multiple community partners for enrolments – Barnados, Paint the Gong
Re(a)d), Noogaleek Children’s Centre, Big Fat Smile Preschool, Alphababies Childcare, Primbee
Playgroup, Smith Family, Toddlers Palace, and Big Fat Smile and Warrawong Public School.
• Rotary clubs continue to fundraise and receive donations from other clubs, other grants
(Such as IMB Foundation and ClubGRANTS), a movie night and online fundraising platform.
• Chose a target amount of enrolments year on year based on funding for that year sustaining
current enrolments and adding in new children where possible.
• Have also spread the word to other Rotaries to begin additional Imagination Libraries and
promote actively on social media
• Ambassador Harrison Craig attended Warrawong Public School where many of the graduating
DPIL families now attend.
• Media links : http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/5281089/the-voice-winner-harrison-
craig-on-song-at-warrawong-school/?cs=12
https://www.facebook.com/Illawarramerc/videos/10155143754666237/Doomadgee DPIL • Regional area of northern QLD • DPIL run by Save the Children staff through the family centre • Small launch event brought the community together and elder “Aunty April” was very important to local adoption of the program • Closely tied to Play2Learn early years playgroup • Mail is flown in to Doomadgee and Save the Children assists the postal service to get the books to the children • A monthly event surrounds book to extend the message within the book (such as recycling) and links to services including regular health check ups • 50 families are registered in Doomadgee, with further growth planned in Mornington Island
Macquarie Business Park / Ryde DPIL Twenty Five Partners and Growing • The unique nature of this initiative is the collaboration between business, community, government and education and United Way Australia. Current business partners include Johnson & Johnson, Macquarie Telecom, Orix, Optus, Fuji Xerox, Pitney Bowes, and Ricoh. The Macquarie University is also an active steering committee member alongside the Corporates. • Community, education and government partners include The Northern Centre, Integricare, City of Ryde Council, West Ryde Early Childhood Clinic, Save the Children, Christian Community Aid, The Salvation Army, Community Migrant Resource Centre, Relationships Australia, Life Start, Catholic Care, Marsden High School, and North Ryde Community Aid.
Bendigo DPIL • Program under the “Bendigo Reads” project an initiative of Communities for Children covering over 250+ children • Project of over 15 organisations including local government, early years, education and health care providers working towards improving language and literacy development for 0-5 year olds across Bendigo. www.bendigoreads.com.au • The program has received ongoing backing from the Bendigo Business Community and LaTrobe University for funding and some initial research into the project • Online fundraising through Givenow allows regular individual giving. Businesses can donate through United Way and receive tax deductibility and funds are held in Bendigo pre-paid account • Media links https://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/3719166/book- program-aims-for-fairytale-ending/
Tamworth region DPIL
• Program launched by council in 2019 to cover all children
born in Tamworth LGA – over 950 babies enrolled– kick
started with 18 months of funding by council
• Lead partner for enrolments is Tamworth Regional Library
branches. All new enrolments show their blue book at the
library to enrol, to receive their first book and a library
card.
• Hunter New England (and Central Coast) Primary Health
Network came on board to fund the project and provide a
health insert every month to link families to services
available eg immunisation days
• Parents opt in to be surveyed at baseline and followed up
in six monthly intervals – data captured for future research
paper and long term study in Tamworth
• Dedicated landing page on the Library website:
http://www.cnl.nsw.gov.au/cgi-
bin/spydus.exe/MSGTRNGEN/WPAC/DOLLYPARTON
• Media link: Dolly Parton's TCMF Launch videoBenevolent Society Partnership DPIL
• Partnership with United Way began in 2014 with the
launch of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Acacia Ridge
and enrolment referrals
• Linked with community reading initiative “Paint the Ridge
ReAd program”
• Benevolent Society produced children’s book “Poppy’s
Special Talent” distributed to all children in Acacia Ridge
accessing DPIL.
• Beaudesert and Browns Plains sites launched in 2019 to
offer the program to children and families accessing
Benevolent Society’s early years services.
• Media link:
https://www.beaudeserttimes.com.au/story/5865282/doll
y-parton-imagination-library-comes-to-beaudesert/School Readiness Menu Item – VIC Kindergartens
• Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is recognised on the Organisation Region
Enrolment # SRF
funding approved
menu within the Victorian Early Years Learning and
Development framework. Kindergartens with children City of Greater 28
aged 4-5 years can include DPIL in their yearly budget for Springside Kindergarten Dandenong
all eligible children to receive monthly books to their Corrigan Rex Kindergarten (Best City of Greater 54
Chance) Dandenong
homes.
City of Greater 66
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/childhood/providers/fu Chandler Kindergarten (Best Chance) Dandenong
nding/Pages/SRFmenu.aspx Dandenong North East Kindergarten City of Greater 72
(Best Chance) Dandenong
• In 2019 10 x Kindergartens elected to include Dolly 132
Henry Family Children's Centre Cardina Shire Council
Parton’s Imagination Library within their Kindergarten
Autumn Place Kindergarten City of Casey 50
giving children access to a new book pack with a reading
tip sheet to their home. Additionally they receive books to Fairhaven Family and Childnen's Centre City of Casey 90
the Kindergarten to continue to engage that child with Valley Brook Kindergarten City of Casey 40
literacy activities. Talbingo Children's Centre City of Casey 45
36
Park Lane Preschool LaTrobe City Council
613Low cost per Child Registration
Program costs TOTAL
1 Child for 1 year $108
1 Child for 5 years $540
50 Children for 1 $5,400
year
100 Children for 1 $10,800
year
Note: Cost of $9 per child/month for new book and parent tip sheet, inclusive of postageYou can also read
