Shell-PRIME TIME Investment and Impact Exceeds $1 Million

A milestone in the LEH's 43-year history was recently achieved, via the fourth year renewal of "The Shell-LEH National Gulf States PRIME TIME Initiative." This unprecedented multi-year initiative is delivering outcomes-driven family literacy/critical thinking (PRIME TME Family Reading Time) and teacher professional development programming (PRIME TIME HomeRoom) to thousands of children, parents, and educators across Louisiana, as well as in four other Gulf South states: Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.

The Shell Oil Company and Foundation's latest gift of $175,000 for Year Four of the partnership brings the company's total investment in PRIME TIME to $808,000. When combined with more than $400,000 in matching support from the LEH and its partnering institutions, the initiative easily surpasses the $1 million mark for total investment and impact.  Read more.

Spring 2015 PRIME TIME Program Applications Available!

PRIME TIME is pleased to announce the winners of PRIME TIME Preschool program grants in Northwest and Southeast Louisiana.  PRIME TIME Preschool is an early childhood program aimed at improving school readiness and reading habits amongst preschool aged children and their families. The following early childhood education providers were recently approved to participate in this project. 

The current preschool site schedule is available here.

Applications are still being accepted from eligible providers in Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes.  Click here for additional information.

During a 3-year project, each site will implement 2 PRIME TIME Preschool programs annually.  In September, PRIME TIME staff members will travel to the Northwest and Southeast to train team members on strategies for successfully planning and implementing PRIME TIME Preschool. 

We are excited to further expand the reach of PRIME TIME Preschool in Louisiana and welcome these early childhood education providers into the PRIME TIME family.

(HN) is a longtime PRIME TIME partner that continues to impact communities throughout the Cornhusker State. In fall 2014, HN adds PRIME TIME Preschool to its programming. HN's first preschool program kicks off in partnership with Lincoln Elementary School in Norfolk.

Select HN PRIME TIME team members attended the July training workshop in New Orleans where they learned coordination and implementation strategies from the PRIME TIME staff and its consultants. 

Since 2002 Humanities Nebraska has partnered with sites around the state to bring PRIME TIME to families with children ages 5 to 10, reaching approximately 6,000 Nebraskans through 130 PRIME TIME programs. The LEH and PRIME TIME staff thank Humanities Nebraska for deepening their commitment to PRIME TIME and humanities-based literacy programming their state.

The next PRIME TIME Training Workshops are scheduled for Saturday, January 17, 2015 at the Louisiana Humanities Center at Turners' Hall in New Orleans.  During PRIME TIME Training Workshops, staff and veteran team members provide an intense review of the program methodology, planning strategies, and implementation techniques for those who are new to the program.

Affiliate project directors should begin considering whether any team members will need training and prepare to alert the PRIME TIME staff via online Affiliate Data Forms by Monday, December 1, 2014. Louisiana and affiliate trainees will receive preliminary details on the training in mid-December.  

While training workshops are only open to team members who are affiliated with an upcoming program, we welcome inquiries from others about the program, its methodology, and the structure of the training workshops.  Such inquiries should be directed to the PRIME TIME staff.