VISION

Delivering and sustaining

transformational programs for youth

in kindergarten through college

MISSION

Implement integrated programming

that prepares youth for the 21st

Century Workforce.

Services to Youth Programs Integrated Programming that Prepares Youth for the 21st Century Workforce

STY Programs and Initiatives

1. Links-to-Success: Children Achieving Excellence (Signature Program)

2. Project L.E.A.D. High Expectations (Signature Program)

3. Young Achievers Initiative

4. Education Linkage

5. National Mentoring Initiative (New)

6. STEM Education and Career Readiness Initiative (New)

7. National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Initiative (New)

Links to Success: Children Achieving Excellence Goals

Partner with national organization to promote early childhood literacy

Emphasize closing the elementary achievement gap

Teach critical thinking tactics

Links To Success: Children Achieving Excellence Mission

To provide a range of innovative,

substantive and sustainable educational resources to chapters and communities, to assist in closing the achievement gap.

The Links to Success program focuses on the four components of Literacy: Reading , Writing , Speaking, and Listening.

Links To Success Target Audience:

– Classrooms

– Pre-K – 3rd Grades

– Elementary Schools

– Special Programs in Day Care Centers, Churches and/or other agencies

Little Creek dioramas and display by Pre-K students at the Academy of Multicultural Immersion Studies,

Cincinnati, OH

Learning Through Art, Inc. In National Collaboration with

Services To Youth Signature Program Links to Success:

Children Achieving Excellence

Presents

Books Alive! For Kids® (BA!FK®) is a four-time EMMY nominated, national award-winning performing arts literacy curriculum based education tool that makes books come alive through sight, sound and touch with phenomenal success.

Books Alive! For Kids-CT ® In Action

Fairfield County (CT Chapter Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds Umbrella Program

Fairfield County (CT) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated expanded the Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds Umbrella Program into two additional schools in Bridgeport, Danbury and Stamford, CT engaging almost 400 students with Books Alive! For Kids®. The Developmental Reading Assessment scores for students at Johnson Elementary, Bridgeport, CT continues to increase after participating in the program for 4 years. Learning Through Art, Inc. assisted in underwriting the expansion with a grant from the Pitney Bowes Foundation. The Fairfield County (CT) Chapter has won 1st place in Programming at the last two consecutive National Assemblies in 2012 and 2012 with implementation of Books Alive! For Kids®.

Books Alive! For Kids® In Action

Dayton (OH) Chapter Project Ready to Read, Ready to Learn

The Dayton (OH) Chapter continued their work at Wogaman School with the extremely successful Ready to Read, Ready to Learn program with almost 200 students in grades K-3. Wogaman was ranked last among the Dayton Public School system. With the dedicated work of the Dayton (OH) Chapter with Books Alive! For Kids® the school rose to 7th in the district based on Ohio Achievement Tests. Dayton (OH) Chapter was designated Best Practices at the 38th National Assembly in Orlando, FL.

Testimonials “Thanks for allowing us to keep the DVD in the I Call My Hand Gentle book box because I use it again and again during the school year. The additional resources always give background for my students. I believe my students’ knowledge of Bullying and being kind to each other has improved as a result of participating in the Books Alive! For Kids® program.” M. Francis, Kndg. Teacher, Johnson Elementary, Bridgeport, CT

“Yes, my students’ knowledge of Bullying and being kind to each other has definitely improved as a result of participating in the Books Alive! For Kids® program. I Call My hand Gentle was a great book to start our school year and talk about the golden rule (to treat other people as we would wish to be treated). We watched Dragon Tales, it was very appropriate, related to the story and it was great since it promoted a discussion about bullying and what good friends should do.” C. Goncalves, 1st Grade Teacher, Johnson Elementary, Bridgeport, CT

“The art project and actual ballet slippers in My Mamma Had a Dancing Heart book box from the Books Alive! For Kids® program were good follow up/reinforcement enhancing my students' overall understanding of the content of the book versus reading the book alone.” C. Haight, 2nd Grade Teacher, Johnson Elementary, Bridgeport, CT

“Books Alive! For Kids® has been a successful addition to our after school home work program at Yerwood Center. The materials and activities correlate with work in the extended day program in reading, acquiring more vocabulary, increased practice and great responses. An increase of 8 first grade students making the program’s Honor Roll is the highest to date. The Fairfield County (CT) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated presented the recognition awards program which provided additional self- esteem building and pride in the work achieved by the students.“

S. Pryor, Education Director, Yerwood Center, Stamford, CT

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Testimonials

“Thanks for allowing us to keep the DVD in the I Call My Hand Gentle book box because I use it again and again during the school year. The additional resources always give background for my students. I believe my students’ knowledge of Bullying and being kind to each other has improved as a result of participating in the Books Alive! For Kids® program.” M. Francis, Kndg. Teacher, Johnson Elementary, Bridgeport, CT

“Yes, my students’ knowledge of Bullying and being kind to each other has definitely improved as a result of participating in the Books Alive! For Kids® program. I Call My hand Gentle was a great book to start our school year and talk about the golden rule (to treat other people as we would wish to be treated). We watched Dragon Tales, it was very appropriate, related to the story and it was great since it promoted a discussion about bullying and what good friends should do.” C. Goncalves, 1st Grade Teacher, Johnson Elementary, Bridgeport, CT

“The art project and actual ballet slippers in My Mamma Had a Dancing Heart book box from the Books Alive! For Kids® program were good follow up/reinforcement enhancing my students' overall understanding of the content of the book versus reading the book alone.” C. Haight, 2nd Grade Teacher, Johnson Elementary, Bridgeport, CT

“Books Alive! For Kids® has been a successful addition to our after school home work program at Yerwood Center. The materials and activities correlate with work in the extended day program in reading, acquiring more vocabulary, increased practice and great responses. An increase of 8 first grade students making the program’s Honor Roll is the highest to date. The Fairfield County (CT) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated presented the recognition awards program which provided additional self- esteem building and pride in the work achieved by the students.“

S. Pryor, Education Director, Yerwood Center, Stamford, CT

Books Alive! For Kids® In Action

BOOKS ALIVE! FOR KIDS® CONCEPT

Books Alive! For Kids® is a four time EMMY nominated, national award winning performing arts literacy program targeting students from pre-school through third grade, with an emphasis on urban inner city and rural schools.

A book is presented through three interactive sessions.

Books come alive through:

Sight – Reading

Touch – ‘Make it – Take it’ Craft

Sound – Performance

Books Alive! For Kids® In Action

Everything you need is contained in the book box including:

• Book

• Study Guide - Aligned to US Dept. of Education Common Core Standards

• Craft Project – 24 Students/Box

• Performance Presentation – Live or DVD from Books Alive! For Kids®Television Show

Books Alive! For Kids® is a four-time EMMY nominated, national award winning performing arts literacy program targeting students from pre-school through third grade, with an emphasis on urban inner city and rural schools. The program’s three highly interactive sessions enhance childhood development in the areas of creative thinking, writing, reading, art and music as well as engage participants from an early age in the learning process. The program’s goals are to:

• Reduce childhood illiteracy.

• Prepare students to compete and succeed in global community through

reading.

• Make the experience of reading stimulate a love for learning with all our

senses.

Books Alive! For Kids® functions to enhance each participant's ability to listen,

interpret, retain, reproduce and modify the lessons, skills and values imparted during

each presentation.

Program Overview

Books Alive! For Kids® In Action with Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa

Session I: Reading

Read or Paraphrase the Story

Books Alive! For Kids® In Action

Session II: ‘Make-It – Take-It’ Craft MAKING MARACAS

1. Remove cap on tube.

2. Scoop approximately ½ tsp. of

beans and rice from plastic

bag into opened tube.

3. Replace cap on tube.

4. Seal cap onto tube with tape.

5. Place decorative stickers on

tube.

6. Shake!

Books Alive! For Kids® In Action

Session III: Live DVD Performance

LET’S SALSA WITH ZUMBA!

Books Alive! For Kids® In Action

Books Alive! For Kids® In Action

Services to Youth Programs and Initiatives

5. National Mentoring Initiative (New)

6. STEM Education and Career Readiness Initiative (New)

7. National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Initiative (New)

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National Services to Youth Committees SERVICES TO YOUTH COMMITTEE

Argentina M. James (Director)

Jacqueline Hrabowski (Assistant Director)

Kimberly Mumby Green (Eastern Area Chair)

Brenda Thomas Jamerson (Southern Area Chair)

Barbara Leonard (Western Area Chair)

Vicki Hill Brooks

Dorian Carter

Sheila Finlayson

Erma Johnson Hadley

Eddie Bernice Johnson

Barbara Martin

Audrey Cooper-Stanton

Shelly Thompson

Wilma Tootle

Audrey Walker

Dorothy Cowser Yancy

National Mentoring Initiative

Sheila Finlayson (Chair)

Mary Pearl Castleberry

Jacqueline W. Pope

Daisy Walker(Liaison)

STEM Education and Career Readiness Initiative

Eddie Bernice Johnson, Chair

Telisa Toliver, Co-Chair

Iris Cross

Joan E. Higginbotham

Teresa Cox

Historically Black Colleges and Universities Initiative

Dorothy Cowser Yancy (Chair)

Edwina Heffner

Shirley Marie McCarther (Central Area Chair)

Harriet Frink Davis (Eastern Area Chair)

Beverly Hogan

Barbara Talbert Jackson

Marye Jeffries

Jacquelyn Madry-Taylor

LaVerne Morris-Parker

Clarissa Myrick-Harris

Deanna Shelton

Mary Sias

Annie Whatley

Boyce Williams (Liaison)

Young Achievers Initiative

Barbara Martin (Chair)

Dene Wallace (Co-Chair)

Brandolyn Thomas Pinkston

Irma Lowman (Liaison)

Links-to-Success: Children Achieving Excellence

Wilma Tootle (Chair)

Cherry A. McGee Banks

Donice Brown

Kathy Wade (Liaison)

Jan Walton (Liaison)

Education Linkage

Erma Johnson Hadley (Chair)

Connie Cosby (Co-Chair)

Helen Jones-Kelley

Lucinda R. Sullivan

Charlotte Meade Ned

Cheryl Atkins

Adrienne Bailey

Mary Bailey

Adrienne James

Joyce Lanier

Debra Lazare

Christine McPhail (Liaison)

Deborah Sims

Dene Wallace

Project L.E.A.D. High Expectations

Audrey Cooper-Stanton (Chair)

Shelley Thompson (Co-Chair)

Diedre Bell-Hunter

Debra Brathwaite (Liaison)

Catherine Collins

Robertina Fletcher

Hermina Hendricks

Tasha Ransom (Liaison)

Patricia Robinson (Liaison)