Christopher Robert

PRIME TIME Spring 2012 Louisiana Grant Applications Are Now Available!

Deadline:  Thursday, September 15, 2011

The PRIME TIME staff is now accepting applications for Spring 2012 programs in Louisiana.  Public libraries, schools, community centers, and other public institutions are encouraged to apply. 

PRIME TIME Family Reading Time is a unique humanities-focused and outcomes-based family literacy program. Created by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities (LEH) in 1991, the mission of PRIME TIME is to create the precondition for future learning among economically and educationally vulnerable families.  PRIME TIME's methodology is proven to generate long-term improvements in student achievement by transforming families into individual and collective communities that continue to read and learn together long after the program ends. 

Read more about PRIME TIME's impact on student achievement here.

Using state and private funds, PRIME TIME grants are awarded twice annually for Fall and Spring/Summer sessions.  The deadline to apply for Spring 2012 is September 15^th. Due to an extreme reduction in state funding, the number of awards available for Spring 2012 has been reduced.  Eligible applications that are not approved for Spring 2012 will be considered for future terms upon reapplying when/if additional funding becomes available.  Eligible organizations will be kept up-to-date on the status of their PRIME TIME grant applications.  

Click here to access a PRIME TIME grant application.  Or, for more information about PRIME TIME please download our program brochure, or email primetime@leh.org. 

The latest edition of the PRIME TIME Site Support Manual was released during the July 2011 Training Workshop. The Site Support Manual is the principal guiding document for successfully planning and implementing PRIME TIME Family Reading Time.

The 2011 edition has been organized somewhat differently, and includes an appendix for sample forms and templates. Also, there is now an entire section devoted to bilingual/multicultural planning and implementation. The new manual also includes critical updates to some forms and the participant surveys. As a result, copies of this manual will be shipped to Louisiana team members who are scheduled to work with Fall 2011 sites but did not attend the July 2011 training. Current team members outside of Louisiana should contact their state project director if a new manual is needed. Limited quantities are available, so new manuals will only be furnished for those who are currently working with PRIME TIME.

Feedback on all aspects of the Site Support Manual are welcomed. All team members should feel free to email primetime@leh.org with comments and suggestions.

Elisa Kadish, Manager of the Lilburn Branch of the Gwinnett County Public Library System in Georgia, understands the value of team work.  As she began planning her Spring 2011 PRIME TIME program, she was hit with "the realization that the process can be daunting and even overwhelming" (a moment most PRIME TIME program coordinator's can identify with).  Like every great PRIME TIME program coordinator before her, Elisa followed the sage advice of experienced team members; she began her planning early and made use of the resources which surrounded her...staff and co-workers.  

In an essay entitled:  "We Couldn't Do it Without You:  Getting Frontline Staff Support for PRIME TIME," Ms. Kadish details the steps taken to secure staff and community support for what ultimately became a highly successful PRIME TIME program for everyone involved.  Click here to read the full article.

The inclusion of this article could not be better timed, as the PRIME TIME staff just completed another weekend of training new program coordinators on the very methods Elisa Kadish outlines in her essay.  We hope that our newest group of coordinators, as well as experienced coordinators, will read this entry and gain a greater understanding of planning procedures.

The annual conference of the American Library Association returned to New Orleans from June 23-28.  "The world's largest and most dynamic library conference and exhibition" presented unparalleled opportunities for librarians from across the nation to learn, exchange ideas and network. The PRIME TIME staff participated in the conference by hosting or participating in several events and sessions.

On Friday, June 24, the LEH and PRIME TIME staff hosted a casual reception at the Louisiana Humanities Center at Turners' Hall.  Approximately 25 past, present and prospective PRIME TIME team members attended to share PRIME TIME stories and network over delicious New Orleans cuisine.  

On Saturday, June 25, PRIME TIME hosted a session entitled:  "ABCs of Sustainable Partnerships:  Affiliations Build Communities."  A variety of successful outreach models, including the award-winning PRIME TIME Family Reading Time program, were showcased by panelists from Arizona, Georgia and Michigan. Dr. Thomas Phelps of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and Lainie Castle of the American Library Association emphasized the connection between humanities councils and libraries.

On Monday, June 27, PRIME TIME participated in the session entitled:  "A Lifetime of Literacy in Libraries:  Marking the Milestones from Infancy to Maturity."  The session was hosted and moderated by the ALA Committee on Literacy. Panelists presented details on several remarkable literacy programs and initiatives being implemented throughout the nation. 

The LEH and PRIME TIME appreciate the ALA for its continued support, partnership, and for offering another opportunity for PRIME TIME to showcase its impact and emphasis on library patronage among vulnerable families.

Also, in the activities section of the ALA's "@ Your Library" website, Annah Hackett, guest contributor, describes PRIME TIME as a program that has wide appeal and is capable of engaging parents and children together in meaningful storytelling and discussion. Click here to read the full article. 

July 2011 PRIME TIME Training Workshop Update