UNITED WAY OF CASS COUNTY INC

Cass county reading railroad is an early literacy program that helps children reach their full potential and empowers parents to be their child's first teacher. This is done through four programs, advocacy, and community outreach. Over 3,000 children are served annually through reading railroad programs. Begindergarten is a summer program that helps prepare children for kindergarten and is taught by local teachers. Children are screened at kindergarten registration. Those who are identified as in need of additional instruction and skill-building are invited to attend. This program is free to participants and includes breakfast, lunch, transportation, and supplies. This program is proivded in partnership with logansport community school corporation. Dolly parton's imagination library provides an age-appropriate book to cass county children each month. Children who reside in cass county are eligible from birth to age five. This program helps families build their home libraries and promotes reading. The business partner program pairs a local volunteer with one of the 86 prek through second grade classrooms. This program serves logansport, pioneer, lewis cass, and caston schools. The volunteer reads to the classroom once a month from september through april. After the book is read, it is then donated to the classroom to build their class library. Volunteers also have the opportunity to work on an activity with the class. First grade library visits serve logansport and lewis cass schools. First grade students at these schools get to visit their public library once a month during the school year, which helps them learn about their local library and promotes reading. Cass county reading railroad also participates in various community events each year. Reading railroad provides books to children at these events to further the love of reading and ensure books are accessible to local youth.