May 2020
For our families in Broward County in need of learning & literacy resources, this newsletter contains links to a variety of free online resources to help families learn & read together as we shelter in place.
We wish you and your family safety and security. 
Research Based Literacy Tools


Today, the University of Florida Lastinger Center for Learning and The Florida Grade-Level Reading Campaign announced that they are partnering to bring new resources for those teaching young children to read during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Current data reveals that about 67 percent of students nationwide are not proficient readers by the end of third grade. As high-quality early learning programs and schools remain closed, children run the risk of falling further behind. These literacy resources will curb learning loss and increase student progress.

From The Frank to You

From The Frank to You is a permanent virtual learning resource library filled with free digital, audio and video content. With a heart for community engagement with no barriers to participation, The Frank is delighted to make these enriching and interactive distance-learning opportunities accessible to both adults and children across the globe.

New offerings are added regularly. Be sure to follow The Frank on Facebook and Instagram at The Frank Pembroke Pines for announcements of recently added workshops, lectures and more!
Become a mentor, reading coach or tutor with HandsOn Broward
Volunteer Opportunities
At HandsOn Broward, we have made the decision to remove all volunteer opportunities that do not support social distancing guidelines from the calendar. However, there are organizations still in need of healthy volunteers to support the critical needs of vulnerable populations in Broward County. For the foreseeable future, we will be listing partner opportunities that are designed to respond to the crisis while enforcing social distancing guidelines.
The Literacy League’s Storytime Heroes
The Literacy League’s Storytime Heroes opportunity engages volunteers who are passionate about Early Childhood Education as virtual guest readers. As students are out of school and parents are doing their best to keep the students engaged at home, this is a unique opportunity to do some social distancing literacy volunteerism.

All you need to do is record a video of you reading a children’s book and post it on Facebook or Instagram. Make sure to tag @handsonbroward and use the hashtag #actsofservice in your post so we can see them!

Volunteers in need of service hours will earn 1 hour per book read, for a maximum of 5 hours. If you are bilingual and can read a story in another language, we encourage you to do so!oncise as people tend not to read much more than a couple of paragraphs. Place article copy here.

Upcoming Events
  Grade Level Reading
Learning Tuesdays

The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading is hosting Learning Tuesdays, a lineup of learning events on Tuesdays 3-4:30 ET.

May 12th the topic is
Early Childhood Innovation for Impact in a Crisis: A Show & Tell pop-up with a promise

Learning Tuesdays provide an opportunity to learn & grow together. Expect to be informed, inspired and energized by an eclectic mix of presenters who will bring knowledge derived from research, practice and lived experience.
National Center for Families Learning Conference

The National Center for Families Learning has made the difficult decision to postpone the Families Learning Conference. The new dates are October 25-27, 2021, still held at the Renaissance Dallas Addison.
However, NCFL is exploring options for providing virtual learning experiences this fall.
More details will be shared via email, on our Conference website, and through our social media handles @FamiliesLearning on Facebook and @NCFL on Twitter

Broward Reads Coalition Meeting

In response to Covid-19 all CSC in-house trainings and community meetings are now cancelled.
We will send any pertinent updates via email and will send a notice when we have determined our ability to resume meetings.

Highlights
Funds for Literacy $$$
Funds for Literacy Efforts in 44 States
Dollar General Literacy Foundation
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation supports nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and libraries that offer literacy programs in communities served by Dollar General in 44 states. The Foundation provides support through the following grant programs: Adult Literacy Grants support nonprofit organizations that provide direct services to adults in need of literacy assistance. Family Literacy Grants support family literacy service providers that combine parent and youth literacy instruction. Summer Reading Grants help nonprofit organizations, schools, and libraries with the creation or expansion of summer reading programs for students who are below grade level readers or readers with learning disabilities. Online applications for the three programs described above must be submitted by February 20, 2020. In addition, Youth Literacy Grants support nonprofit organizations, schools, and libraries that work to help students who are below grade level or experiencing difficulty reading. The application deadline for this program is May 21, 2020. Visit the Foundation's website to access guidelines for each grant program.
Click below to access the following resources
REMINDER

 We are working on a calendar of Broward Reads literacy-related events and need your input. To have your fliers included, please e-mail a high resolution PDF or JPG file to Alexia Bridges at  [email protected]  with a brief description.   
On Behalf of the Children's Services Council:
You would notice that the look of this newsletter has changed over the last couple of months. It has been a pleasure creating the initial look and feel of this newsletter for you. However, with this issue and continuing on, the publication will be produced by HandsOn Broward, continuing their significant role and work, in support of “Broward Reads: The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading”. For up to date information, please subscribe to the newsletter via the HandsOn Broward web-page and stay connected to What’s Happening Now on the Literacy front in Broward County!
HandsOn Broward | https://www.handsonbroward.org