WHO?
Ferst Foundation of Childhood Literacy is a public 501 (c) 3 non profit with the mission to "provide books for local communities to prepare all Georgia preschool children for reading and learning success." Ferst Foundation mails Dolly Parton's Imagination Libary books plus our Leap into Books newsletters to registered Georgila Children.
WHAT?
The League of Extraordinary Students was created as a way for Georgia's young adults (elementary, middle, high school and college students) to engage in the spirit of philantrophy and become inspired to make a change, one child at a time by helping to prepare our youngest citizens for school! Ferst Foundation is eager to "Imagine the Possibilities" when every child in Georgia is able to enter kindergarten with the same home library!
HOW?
To begin your League of Extraordinary Students application:
1. Register (as an individual or as a group) with the Ferst Foundation (click here).
2. Print your tool kit which includes registration form and our Ferst Foundation case statement.
Note that funds raised will be used to support the child(ren) registered by League members in the Georgia community of your choice! You may choose to raise the funds to register children in your own community or another Georgia community with a greater need. Use the following link to view a listing of current participating communities: http://ferstfoundation.org/countiesserved.htm or call the Ferst Foundation headquarters toll-free at (888) 565-0177. It is important that you submit the donations and registrations to Ferst Foundaiton as soon as you receive them so the child(ren) may begin receiving their books as soon as possible.
To Participate:
- Register at least 1 child (or more) to receive free books from Ferst Foundation until he/she turns five - any child under the age of five in Georgia can be registered.
- Raise $180 in donations for each child registered. For example, students can ask 5 people for $36 or raise the money through a bake sale, lemonade stand, yard sale, car wash, etc.
- Perform 5 hours of literacy-related community service. Suggestions include read to young children, help at the libary, work with local Community Action Team (if one is established), etc.
Participating Students/Student Orgnizations will:
- Receive a Certificate of Appreciation signed by Ferst Foundation Founder Robin Ferst.
- Be listed as a Ferst Foundation Extraordinary League member on our website www.ferstfoundation.org by name and county.
- Be named in the Ferst Foundation monthly newsletter as a League member.
WHY?
- 61% of low-income families do not have a single book suitable for a child.
- Every dollar invested in early learning saves $17.00 in remedial education, welfare, and prison costs in the future.[1]
- Evidence strongly suggests that students who fail to read on grade level by the fourth grade have a greater likelihood of dropping out of school and a lifetime of diminished success.[2] In 2007, 35% of Georgia 4th graders were reading below grade level.
- While 85% of a child's core brain structure is formed by age three, less than 4% of public investments on education and development are made for that time period.[3]
- Impressive results in Georgia - 44% more children in Morgan County were ready for Kindergarten and 13.3% of Hart County participants averaged higher school readiness scores.
[1] No Child Left Behind Web site
[2] High/Scope Perry Preschool Study
[3] Early Learning Left Out: Executive Summary
Remember ― All donations will support the Ferst Foundation program.
It’s Georgia students helping Georgia’s youngest children.
Now, that’s extraordinary!
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Read below to see how our first Extraordinary Students got started!
Our county school system requires a senior project to be completed during our senior year. It is a project that should combine our hobbies and/or interests and future career plans. I am enrolled to begin at Georgia Southern University in the fall majoring in biology as part of their pre-med program. My goal is to become a pediatrician. I wanted to combine my love for children with my love of reading. I began by exploring the volunteer opportunities at the children's hospital in Atlanta and desired to volunteer with the children there and was going to start a collection drive of gently used and new books to be given to the hospital and also write a children book to be given as well at the end of the project. However I ran into a brick wall when I contacted them. I was not of age to volunteer there in addition to the fact of the hospital not being able to take the collection of books. My mother made a few telephone calls to other metro hospitals and they also had age requirements of volunteers. I thereafter started looking for a women's and children shelter that I could volunteer with the children and do the same type of book collection for them. They also had a age requirement. At this point my mother and I was both becoming very anxious wondering how I could possibly do this project if not given an opportunity to work with children. My mother happen to make contact with a friend that lives in the Pickens County area of Georgia and she had just read the article in the Southern Living magazine the very same day she called her. My mother bought the magazine and made the first contact with you and then I followed up on that conversation. A door was opened for me at that point to complete this project.
At the time I knew I needed to raise the funds to sponsor my first child. I began my first part-time job at Zaxby's and raised the monies to sponsor that first child. I began looking for the right child and found a lady at my aunt's church who would be honored to have her baby be a participant in the program. I enrolled her in the program for her receipt of books. I did my volunteer work in an area that I have a passion for (reading) as well as having the opportunity to be around children; doing all at the same time. I volunteered with the Sequoyah Regional Library and worked in the Children and Teen's Programs they have on a weekly basis there. I fulfilled my commitment in the number of community service hours and and plan to continue my work in the program there; at least until I go to off to college in August.
Thank you again for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the Ferst Foundation and naturally I plan to do more as time and money permits.
Thanks again,
Emily Watson
Hi, my name is Jaclyn (Jackie) Stambaugh and I will be a senior at Brunswick High School in Brunswick, GA this fall. I was introduced to the Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy by my Mom. She is a volunteer and a member of the CAT committee for the foundation in Glynn County. One of my favorite hobbies is reading and I know how important it is to be a good reader. After some research of the program I decided to sponsor a child through funds from my part-time job at CareNet. Thank you Ferst Foundation for allowing me to become a member of the League of Extraordinary Students and by helping change my community “one child at a time”.