North Central Electric Cooperative is proud to announce the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library/Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library for Seneca County. North Central Electric is honored to be the affiliate sponsor for this new program. Since 2018, the Gase Family Literacy Fund has been providing funding for children up to age five in the Tiffin vicinity of Seneca County. Now with the affiliation of North Central Electric, the program has expanded to include Alvada, Attica, Bascom, Bettsville, Bloomville, Flat Rock, Fostoria, Green Springs, Kansas, Melmore, New Riegel, Old Fort, and Republic in Seneca County.
Inspired by her father's inability to read and write, Dolly Parton started her Imagination Library in 1995 for the children within her home county. Dolly's vision was to foster a love of reading among her county's preschool children and their families by providing them with the gift of a specially selected book each month. Today, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library sends more than one million books per month to children around the world inspiring them to Dream More, Learn More, Care More and Be More.
Research has shown that book ownership can be a predictor of future academic success. Studies have found that children with just 25 books in their home were more likely to complete an additional two years of education. Inspired by Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine’s passion for early childhood literacy, the Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library is a partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to ensure that children enter the classroom ready to succeed.
The Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library is working to ensure that children in all 88 Ohio counties can enroll in Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library in 2020, by providing a dollar-for-dollar funding match with each county that opens OGIL to its residents. The Ohio General Assembly committed $5 million to OGIL in the state fiscal year 2020-2021 budget.
Children from birth to age five can enroll to receive books from the Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library. After enrollment, children will begin receiving a new book each month, at no cost to their family, until they reach the age of five.
“I am thrilled that North Central Electric Cooperative will be administering the Imagination Library in Seneca County,” said Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine, “We’ve continued to expand the Imagination Library statewide because we know the program works. Young children are excited to receive the book each month in the mail, which is addressed to them. Just having these books in the home promotes a love of learning and family bonding that we know adds up to preparing children for kindergarten. I encourage all families in Seneca County to sign up their children for these free books.”
“North Central Electric Cooperative is happy to partner with the Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library. “Because concern for community is a primary tenet of the electric cooperative industry, North Central Electric Cooperative jumped at the opportunity to become a Seneca County affiliate. We realize the importance of families exploring the joy of reading together,” said Ed VanHoose, general manager of North Central Electric Cooperative.
To learn more, or to sign-up, please visit: https://ohioimaginationlibrary.org
Not-for-profit North Central Electric Cooperative provides power to approximately 9,600 consumer-members in Crawford, Hancock, Huron, Richland, Sandusky, Seneca, Wood, and Wyandot counties.