Dalton-Whitfield Community "Springs" into Reading

An Archway-initiated book drive titled “Spring into Reading” recently concluded with more than 1,100 books donated! Recipient organizations/programs of the books include: local pre-k institutions, Sharing is Caring, and Book Nooks. More than 415 books from the drive were distributed during pre-k registration at the end of March. The ultimate goal of the book drive is to foster at-home reading for children with minimal exposure to books and family reading at home. Seven organizations hosted book bins for donations, and we salute the Dalton-Whitfield Community for a job well done! Pictured below are some snapshots from the book drive. 

Archway VISTA Melissa Morrison stands beside a book bin hosted by the Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce.

Book Donation Bin

 Book donations included those from a local grocery store.

 These are just some of the books collected from the Dalton-Whitfield Regional Library.

A few of the 400+ books being prepared for pre-k registration in March.

Saturday Academy: Collaboration in Action

After many discussions with the local school districts, non-profit organizations, and local citizens, it was clear that building parent capacity for the families with young children should be a top priority of our local Archway education efforts. Teachers report that children are entering kindergarten without basic readiness skills. Further, the majority of preschool-aged children in the Dalton-Whitfield community do not attend early learning environments.  There are also concerns that school-aged children need additional tutoring, help with homework, and stimulating activities on the weekends. After brainstorming community solutions to support the young children and their families of the community, the idea of Saturday Academy was conceived.

Prior to kicking off a pilot program and study on March 8, Archway fostered a collaborative planning meeting. Sixteen individuals representing 12 community organizations gathered on February 24 to discuss a vision, objectives, and areas of support for the program! Funding followed suit, with private donors and organizations pledging $5,600 in support.

The pilot program began as planned on March 8, with over 45 children, 19 families, and 25 volunteers! To date, the Dalton-Whitfield Archway Partnership has hosted and facilitated the third of six consecutive, fun-filled Saturdays for 3-5 year olds and their families at the local Community Center.  To enhance school readiness for young children and their families, community partners work together to host parent education classes, parent-child interactive classes, and family fun time.  Researchers from the University of Georgia, Georgia State, and West Georgia were on site the first week and assisted by faculty from our two local systems, as well as Dalton State College in assessing children's school readiness skills.  At the conclusion of the pilot study, the researchers will analyze parent and child data to determine if the programming was effective building parent capacity, improving home learning environments, and improving preschoolers’ school readiness skills. Pictures of the event can be seen on our Facebook page here.

Reach Out and Read Update

On February 24, 2014, local leaders joined the Archway Partnership staff for an information session and tour of White’s Pediatrics, one of the two local pediatric practices that have been funded for Reach Out and Read. Archway executive committee member and superintendent of Dalton Public Schools, Dr. Jim Hawkins, attended the tour and noted that the program is “high leverage” and is “giving the highest return on investment.” To date, the program has received $5,000 in funding, and more than 10,000 people have been reached. Pictured below are some of the tour participants discussing Reach Out and Read at White's Pediatrics. To read about previous Reach Out and Read endeavors, click here.

The Archway Partnership Presents at Local Pastor’s Meeting

On February 3, Archway Partnership professionals Melissa Lu and Katy Green were invited to speak to a group of local pastors representing 13 churches about ways the faith-based community can become involved with areas of need within the Dalton-Whitfield community. The opportunities they shared extend to anyone wanting to make an impact in the community. Click here to see the list of opportunities shared with the pastors. A photo highlighting the event is below.

Archway Professional Melissa Lu talks with pastors about areas of need after her presentation.

Book Nooks Continue Gaining Community Support

The Dalton-Whitfield Archway Partnership’s Book Nook initiative continues to gain community support.  Thanks to the generosity of the Dalton State Athletics Program, the Dalton Rotary Club, and the Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia, funding has been pledged for 18 Book Nooks.  Two book nooks have been placed at White’s Pediatrics with the latest at City of Refuge, an outreach program that meets the physical, mental and spiritual needs of the homeless, low income, poverty level, and indigent families of the Dalton-Whitfield Community.

A picture capturing the recent book nook implementation at City of Refuge can be viewed below. 

From left to right: City of Refuge staff member; Elizabeth Chadwick, Reach Out and Read volunteer; Melissa Morrison, Archway Partnership Americorp VISTA

To learn more about book nooks, click here. If your organization is interested in sponsoring or hosting a Book Nook, please contact Readers to Leaders/United Way VISTA Melissa Morrison at readers2leadersdw@gmail.com.

Young Professional Park Restoration Project

In 2012, the Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia awarded a $5,000 grant to the Archway Partnership for a Young Professional project.  The Young Professionals of Northwest Georgia have decided to put some of this money to use on February 22, 2014 by restoring Varnell Park.  Below are some pictures sent by YPONG Chair, Andrea Ownbey, illustrating the current condition of the park. 

YPONG has enlisted the help of the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and the City of Varnell for this park clean-up project.  Information about the event is available at YPONG's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/YPONG11.  To learn more about YPONG, click here. 

Archway Partnership Executive Committee Update

In 2009, the Archway Partnership Executive Committee gathered extensive community input to produce “Communit-E3: A Vision of the Future of Dalton-Whitfield County.” The vision encompasses three parts: education, economy, and the environment (quality of life). In recent years the committee has brainstormed various education initiatives, many of which are pertinent in fulfilling the three-part Communit-E3 vision. Some of the most promising ideas, however, have not yet come to fruition because there is not an existing organization in the community to implement them.

At the last Archway Partnership Executive Committee Meeting held on January 16, members discussed the possibility of creating of a local Community Education Alliance that would meet the existing need for hosting some of the initiatives.  The discussion is outlined here.

The Committee is excited about the potential opportunities that such an alliance would create for the Dalton-Whitfield Community. Below are some photos highlighting the January 16 meeting. 

Lynn Laughter, chair of the Executive Committee, facilitates group discussion.

Committee member Kelly Jones shares her thoughts about the alliance.

Members Mike Maret (right) and Nancy Kennedy (left) discuss their ideas. 

Committee members examine details surrounding the Community Education Alliance.