WAYNESBORO – Staffers at Alexander Hamilton Memorial Free Library are celebrating the receipt of $50,000 to support “an amazing opportunity to enhance early education for the Waynesboro community and surrounding areas.”
The library’s grant is for a three-year early education initiative grant by The Foundation for Enhancing Communities. This grant will allow the library to participate in an early education initiative “The Basics,” added Library Manager Julene Diaz.
She said the library’s “team is so honored to have been chosen by TFEC for this initiative, and we look forward to working with our community partners, fellow grantees from Cumberland, Dauphin, Perry and Lebanon counties and TFEC.”
The intent of the initiative is to cultivate and strengthen community opportunities for the growth, safety and wellness for all children. The foundation, serving Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lebanon, Perry and York counties, chose the Hamilton library’s proposal, “The Basics Waynesboro: Community-Level Family Engagement in The Heart of the Borough,” to represent Franklin County.
The Basics Waynesboro, which will be launched in September, will allow the library to offer Waynesboro families, schools and childcare centers the programs and resources needed to foster early childhood education and literacy. First year community partners will be Waynesboro Area School District, Mainstreet Waynesboro and Friends of the Library.
Public libraries are critical cornerstones to empower parents, caregivers and educators to help children enter school ready to learn, according to Diaz. “AHMFL has made it a priority to provide programming for early education that supports families, particularly those at risk. In doing so, we hope to empower parents, caregivers and educators with the resources, knowledge and confidence to bring out the very best in our children.”
The Basics Waynesboro grant will allow the library to offer the Waynesboro community additional programming in early childhood education and literacy, with sensory experiences, nutrition education, skills-building and introductory STEM, she added.
The early education programs at the library will be:
Little Explorers – Infant-24 months: This program is designed for families with infants and toddlers to share parenting questions and concerns and to have fun with books, toys, songs and fingerplays.
Story Explorers – Toddler/Preschool: This parent-child program is a read-aloud and playtime for toddlers and young preschoolers focusing on a sensory-rich environment.
PreK Explorers -4-5 years: This PreK storytime focuses on kindergarten readiness skills. Books and activities are chosen to help PreK children practice and build skills needed to begin kindergarten.
Rhythm and Rhyme – Toddler/Preschool/PreK 2-5 years: R&R is a fun mix of nursery rhymes, songs and movement activities for toddlers and preschoolers. Families will have the opportunity to explore different musical instruments.
Little Builders – Toddler/Preschool/PreK 2-5 years: This self-directed program provides caregivers and children the opportunity to explore different pre-STEM building activities.
“I am so very excited to create and share fun educational programs with Waynesboro families,” said Beth Steineman, program coordinator at the library. “Early literacy is crucial to the success of our children as they grow and develop, and I want to share my passion for learning with families and children and give them the resources, support and opportunities they need to succeed,” she added.
The Basics Waynesboro initiative will also include an update to the Parent Resource center located in the Children’s Room, the introduction of an early childhood newsletter, and participation in the National 1,000 books to Kindergarten. “With our community partners, there will be continued participation in the Downtown Storywalk, additional and new offerings of the Incredible Years Parenting Class and Penn State Extension Nutrition classes and the Basics App for families,” according to Diaz.
The Alexander Hamilton Memorial Free Library is the only public free library in the Waynesboro Area School District of southern Franklin County. It serves the area’s population with an inventory of media, access to technology and a schedule of events and programs that promote five aspects of literacy for all ages.
Originally founded in 1926, the library has a long history as a respected community asset. The library currently serves approximately 8,800 cardholders by circulating over 35,000 books, DVDs and audiobooks, and grants patrons access to 94 state and local databases.
