Readers to Leaders Hosts 3rd Annual Celebration of Literacy

Readers to Leaders recently hosted its third annual community-wide celebration of literacy for nearly 600 people in the Dalton-Whitfield community!  Of those 600, 149 were volunteers and 279 were children! A total of 276 free books were given away to attendees! Against the festive backdrop of games, live story book characters, and food, reading took center stage. There were cozy reading circles for children of all ages where stories were read by community volunteers. Reading-related crafts and activities further conveyed the importance of literacy. Below are a few snapshots from the event. To view all the photos, visit the Readers to Leaders Facebook page here. 

E3Z

With the early childhood Race to the Top funds, the State of Georgia has chosen 11 regions of high needs to apply to be an Early Education Empowerment Zone (E3Z) region, one of which includes Dalton-Whitfield County. If the Dalton-Whitfield County region gets chosen, benefits include $1.2 million dollars for birth to five efforts. The Archway Partnership recently collaborated with other local organizations to facilitate and organize a presentation for the E3Z search committee. The Committee visited Dalton-Whitfield County on July 29, and recipient regions will be announced later this fall. Photos of Phil Ledbetter from Catoosa Family Connections addressing the search committee on July 29 can be viewed below.