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| September/October 2007 Issue
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The National Endowment for the Humanities has awarded the nationally acclaimed PRIME TIME FAMILY READING program a $275,212 grant to support 18 bilingual programs in five other states. Since PRIME TIME's inception as the humanities-based family literacy program of the LEH in 1991, 425 programs have been conducted in Louisiana and 331 outside the state. It has reached approximately 26,000 people in Louisiana and in 35 other states and the Virgin Islands.
 Applications for this grant are currently available! Grants cover all major program costs including training, training and implementation materials, team member stipends, publicity materials, books, technical assistance and more. Statewide organizations including state humanities councils, state libraries, library associations, centers for the book and library systems outside Louisiana are invited to apply. Applications that provide plans for bilingual programming (Spanish/English) will be given funding priority. Application deadline is Nov. 1, 2007.
Click here for Guidelines and Application! |
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|  PRIME TIME returns for a second round of programming to Renaissance Village FEMA Trailer Park located in Baker, Louisiana, which still houses hurricane Katrina and Rita evacuees unable to return home. Beginning August 18, 2007 approximately 30 resident children and their parents (some returning to the program) have been attending PRIME TIME in the new Children’s Plaza “Living Room” designed to host community programs. This 8-week program is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Baker and the Baker Charitable Foundation and hosted by the Renaissance Village Children’s Plaza. In addition, the Rotary Club of Baker has generously supported each week’s session by supplying meals for the participants and volunteers to serve and help with logistics.
In Fall 2006, when PRIME TIME first implemented a program at Renaissance Village, the participating children wrote pen pal letters to tsunami victims in India, who are cared for by the Mary Ellen Gerber Foundation. Recently, PRIME TIME staff received responses from the children in India. Those letters will be delivered to the recipients in the upcoming weeks.
For the Fall 2007 program, returning team members include scholar Shannon McGuire, Ph.D., and storyteller Mary Jill Brody, Ph.D. New team members include program coordinator Arcenia Crayton and preschool coordinator Ruth Hatfield.
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 On September 10, PRIME TIME Inc. convened an advisory group to discuss strategic plans for the national expansion of PRIME TIME. Attending the meeting were Jacquie Brinkley, Library Development Services, CA State Library; Carole Fiore, Library Consultant (FL); Jane Renner Hood, Executive Director, NE Humanities Council; Karen McPheeters, Library Administrator, Farmington Public Lib. (NM); Virginia Smith, Executive Director, KY Humanities Council; and Jim Trojanowski, Director, Northern Waters Library System (WI).
Representing six states where more than 190 PRIME TIME programs have been implemented, advisory group members shared experiences and offered advice that will guide us as we move forward in sustaining and continuing national expansion.
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 The Irene W. and C.B. Pennington Foundation has awarded the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities $25,000 for the expansion of PRIME TIME programming in the Baton Rouge area in 2007 and 2008. With the funds PRIME TIME will be able to expand the number of programs in the target parishes, which include East Baton Rouge, Livingston, Point Coupee, East Feliciana, and West Feliciana, by 25% and reach additional 100-150 at-risk children and their families. In Fall 2007, there are four programs scheduled in the target parishes of East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana and Livingston.
Cox Charities awarded the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities $2,500 to help bring PRIME TIME back to St. Bernard Parish. PRIME TIME had successful programming in St. Bernard Parish schools prior to hurricanes Katrina and Rita, with average weekly attendance between 35 and 40 participants. As the parish recovers and rebuilds its infrastructure and schools, PRIME TIME hopes to return and serve the at-risk children and their families.
View the updated Fall 2007 Louisiana Schedule
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 For the first time since 2001, when a National Endowment for the Humanities grant to the LEH brought the first PRIME TIME to Oregon, the program has returned to the state, and more specifically to Washington County, Oregon through the coordinated efforts of Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS) and their community partners including Meyer Memorial Trust, Oregon Council for the Humanities, Washington County Department of Housing Services, Tri-Met, Pacific University and NW Natural Gas. WCCLS has secured funding for and committed to implementing two programs in 2007 and an additional two programs in 2008.
Stephanie Lind, Senior Librarian for Outreach and Youth Services for WCCLS and PRIME TIME project director, describes the special component to their first bilingual 6-week program which graduated 17 families:
A uniquely Washington County component was added as a final, very special, addition to the 6-week Favorites series. On the seventh week, a graduation celebration was held. Community organizations that serve children and families set up tables providing information about their services, each providing a Spanish-speaking staff person and an activity for the kids. Local and county governmental representatives were present to congratulate and issue certificates to the participating families.
Read PRIME TIME Commences in Washington County, Oregon!, by Stephanie Lind |
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 A PRIME TIME training workshop was held in Grand Island, Nebraska, August 18, 2007. Under the direction of Erika Hamilton, Statewide Coordinator for PRIME TIME with the Nebraska Humanities Council, 26 participating team members convened for this one-day intensive workshop in which experienced trainers introduced the program to new team members and shared best practices with experienced coordinators and discussion leaders. Storyteller and scholar team Joan Gardner and Lisa Brown-Olsen engaged the group in a bilingual sample reading and discussion session using the book My Very Own Room/Mi Propio Cuartito by award-winning author Amada Irma Perez. This presentation was one of the highest ranked sessions on the evaluation form for this training, and the audience participation was excellent.
Faye Flanagan, PRIME TIME Project Director, represented the LEH, and commended Hamilton and Jane Hood, Director of the Nebraska Humanities Council, for their successful expansion efforts and the quality of the programming and the training. Thirty-one PRIME TIME programs have been implemented in Nebraska since 2002.
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 PRIME TIME has published a new and improved edition of the Site Support Manual, featuring nearly 300 pages of information and resources, a table of contents, an index, an accompanying resource disk with sample forms, templates and reports, as well as a new look: a perfect-bound book with updated pictures and graphics. Dr. Olivia Pass, Associate Director, worked tirelessly to edit and update the information. Special thanks from the PRIME TIME staff goes to Toan Nguyen, the staff Graphic/Web Designer for his assistance and patience.
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