Robin Ferst of Atlanta grew up loving books. But when Robin was six years old, books graduated from a love to a lifeline when a routine exam revealed that she was losing her hearing. She learned to lip-read, but turned increasingly to the world of books where her imagination could soar and a hearing loss not an obstacle. “Books opened up a world of possibilities and helped me overcome challenges,” says Robin. “I would like to give that to every child.”

Robin recalls that “The Little Engine That Could” was one of her favorite books as a young child. Although she estimates that her father read her the story hundreds of times, Robin never grew tired of the book—or its message. She grew up believing what the Little Engine taught, that the first step toward success is believing that you can succeed.

A few years ago as Robin was surfing the Internet, she came across an article about a reading program in Tennessee started by entertainer Dolly Parton. Dolly had grown up in a poor rural county and had no books as a child. As a way of giving back to her community, she decided to give each child in her home of Sevier County, Tennessee, a free book each month—from birth until the age of five. With this Imagination Library gift, children could receive up to sixty books, absolutely free. As the program took root, literacy rates in the impoverished area began to climb. Young children arrived at kindergarten having already devoured dozens of books and hungry for more. Reading about this, Robin was intrigued. She knew that she wanted to start a similar program where she lived, Morgan County, Georgia.

Robin travelled to Tennessee in the summer of 1999 to meet with the Executive Director of the Dollywood Foundation and gather information about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program. As a result of that meeting a partnership was formed and, incorporating her maiden name with the book distribution focus, Ferst Foundation was born! Within months, Robin was distributing registration forms and spreading the literacy message in Morgan County. In March of 2000 the first Imagination Library books, purchased through the Dollywood Foundation, were mailed to the registered children in that community. The rest, as they say, is history. In cooperation with the Dollywood Foundation, the Ferst Foundation became the earliest replicator of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

Initially, the Morgan County effort was a one-woman show, with Robin stuffing books into mailing envelopes on her dining room table. However, companies and sponsors soon signed on as partners in the program and registration numbers exploded. By ordering the books in conjunction with Dollywood, the program cost is only $36 per child, per year, or, at the maximum, $180 per child over the life of the program.

Within two years, the program expanded to include three Georgia counties. By year three, ten communities were on board, two urban pilot communities were up and running, more than 5,000 books were mailed each month, and the program focus had grown from just a book distribution initiative to include additional literacy support services and a rural library enhancement program.

More about Robin Ferst can be found on the main website at http://ferstfoundation.com/founder.htm.

Today, cities and counties throughout Georgia contact the Ferst Foundation each week to find out how they can implement the program in their communities. The infectious enthusiasm has proven that this early childhood literacy program ultimately succeeds because it is a simple, inexpensive program with a strong goal—to teach children to love books. Like Robin, children who love books turn into readers—and readers succeed!

Our Mission:  “Provide books for local communities to prepare all Georgia preschool children for reading and learning success.”

Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy is a 501(C) 3 with a state wide presence with Community Action Teams operating numerous Georgia Counties (visit the web site for a complete current listing of participating communities – www.ferstfoundation.org).

It is the goal of Ferst Foundation to be in all 159 Georgia counties by 2010!


The Basics of the Imagination Library Book Distribution Program

1.  Every child under the age of five in a participating community is eligible for the program.  No group is favored or stigmatized by being part of the program. 
2. Children may be registered at birth, or at any age between birth and five years.  Regardless of age, the first book is The Little Engine That Could and the graduation book is Miss Bindergarten gets Ready for Kindergarten when the child turns 5.
3. Any adult caregiver can register a child. 
4. The books are delivered each month by U.S. Mail to the child’s home, and multiple children in a home (including twins, triplets, etc.) each receive their own age-appropriate book. 
5. If a child moves out of Georgia, the child is removed from the FFCL program.  If the child moves out of the participating community but remains in the state of Georgia, he/she remains as part of the original CAT community until a Ferst Foundation CAT in the new community adopts him/her.
6. Every registered child will receive the “Ferst” Library Card and additional literacy support items.
7. Once the funds are raised and the bookends arrive in the participating community, every registered child will receive a coupon for the Imagination Library Bookends.
8. Finally, and most importantly, the program is ABSOLUTELY FREE to participating families.  There are NEVER any charges or costs to the children or families, ever.  The cost of the program is covered by the efforts of the local Community Action Team members through the acquisition of public and private contributions, sponsorships, grants, etc.

 

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