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| July/August 2007 Issue
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 Julie Mulvihill, Executive Director of the Kansas Humanities Council (KHC), announced that the Governor’s budget for this fiscal year included $50,000 for PRIME TIME programs. Kansas becomes a member of an elite group, including Louisiana and Nebraska, to receive legislative funding for the expansion of PRIME TIME programming. The Council had budgeted for four programs, but this additional funding will expedite the expansion of this humanities-based family literacy program across the state.
KHC implemented five PRIME TIME programs in 2006 as part of a National Endowment for the Humanities grant to the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities. The five programs were held in Junction City (Dorothy Bramlage Public Library), Syracuse (Hamilton County Public Library), Dodge City (Dodge City Public Library),
and Newton (Newton Public Library.) Syracuse hosted two programs under this grant.
 KHC’s mission states, “Through the humanities--history, literature, philosophy, and related areas--we gain understanding of where we’ve been, who we are, and what we’ve valued over time and across generations." PRIME TIME is a rare family literacy program, one that is rooted in the humanities while reaching and impacting the lives of generations in a single family unit. Mulvihill states, “The expansion of PRIME TIME, an award-winning intergenerational family literacy program can only contribute to and enhance the work of the Council.”
Teams from the three sites slated for fall in Newton, Kansas City, and Dodge City will be attending the July 28-29 training in New Orleans. Additional teams will attend the January 19-20, 2008 training.
Click here to visit our partnering council’s PRIME TIME website.
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|  On June 24 in Washington, D.C., PRIME TIME Director Faye Flanagan served as a panel moderator at the American Library Association’s 2007 Annual Conference. Along with panelists Thomas Phelps, Acting Director of the Division of Public Programs for the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH); Lainie Castle, Project Director of ALA’s Public Programs; Susan Warner, Head of Youth and Branch Services of the Kalamazoo Public Library; Joyce Armstrong, Director of the Hamilton County Library in Syracuse, Kansas; and Karen McPheeters, Library Director of Farmington Public Library, New Mexico, Flanagan discussed ways in which PRIME TIME is a successful model outreach program. After Flanagan provided background information on PRIME TIMEand informed participants of possible NEH funding to support additional expansion in 2008, Phelps and Castle elaborated on the partnerships of the NEH and the ALA with PRIME TIME, and the three librarians then shared personal stories about the difference PRIME TIME has made with the low-literacy population in their communities. According to Flanagan, “The interest in PRIME TIME at the ALA conference was very exciting, and our entire session was extremely upbeat. It obviously generated a positive response for our program with over 50 librarians signing up to receive News and Views.” Approximately 100 enthusiastic audience members from the U.S. and Canada attended this session.
Click here to read program attendee Hager Shirman’s impressions of the session.
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 Kristin Seitz, Communication and Events Coordinator for Vision Literacy, shares how PRIME TIME supports growing family literacy needs in California. According to Pat Lawson-North, Vision Literacy Executive Director, the organization has two years experience expanding literacy services to offer PRIME TIME at community libraries for the targeted populations.
 With a baseball cap shadowing his serious face, Don Artemio spent most evenings quietly sitting at the edge of the packed community room, silently listening to the stories and discussion. But, occasionally the grandfather would speak up – in Spanish – and relate the night’s book to the ideas of great French philosophers like Voltaire or Rousseau. When he spoke, even the most fidgety six-year-olds listened attentively. Moments like these made the staff of Vision Literacy recognize the unique gifts of offering Prime Time Family Reading Time® to its community.
Read “PRIME TIME Supports Growing Family Literacy Needs in California,” by Kristin Seitz. |
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PRIME TIME experienced a highly successful Spring 2007 session in Louisiana and nationally. Initial conservative estimates indicate that approximately 800 participants were enrolled in the 24 implemented programs spanning 15 Louisiana parishes. In addition, approximately 160 new library cards were issued to the enrolled families. Participating partners included public libraries, schools, Title I parent centers, and 21st Century community centers. There are 26 sites planned in Fall 2007 spanning 22 Louisiana parishes. Enrollment for fall programs is estimated at 900 participants. Additional participating partners include Renaissance Village Children’s Plaza, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, Bossier Arts Council, Lincoln Parish District Attorney’s Office in partnership with Lincoln Parish Library and Bethune Middle Academy.
Out-of-state estimates indicate that approximately 1,000 participants were enrolled in the 27 implemented programs spanning 9 states. Participating states include California, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon and Virginia. Nationally, from 1991 through Spring 2007, 693 programs have been implemented across 35 states and the Virgin Islands, impacting nearly 26,000 low-literacy, low-income and/or English-learning families, with approximately 6,000 new library cards issued. There are 45 programs scheduled in Summer/Fall 2007 spanning 12 states (additional states include Kansas, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.) Enrollment for summer/fall programs is estimated at 1300 participants.
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 On November 17, Faye Flanagan, Project Director; Olivia Pass, Associate Director; and Amy Whipple, Assistant Director of the Terrebonne Parish Library System, will present “The More Things Change . . . : Using the Socratic Dialogue in the 21st Century,” a presentation on the successful literacy program of PRIME TIME FAMILY READING TIME®, at the annual conference of the National Council of Teachers of English in New York City. Although the 21st Century makes its demands upon educators to adapt to the “new literacies,” e.g., blogs, podcasts, etc., the Socratic Dialogue, which dates back to the fifth century BC, is the means by which this innovative program has successfully addressed literacy problems through libraries today.
Flanagan and Pass, as storyteller and scholar, will present a sampler of a PRIME TIME Socratic Dialogue session, and Whipple will discuss the logistics of organizing and carrying out a six- or eight-week program. The three will also discuss the history and success of PRIME TIME. The session will end with a question-and-answer session with the audience.
Click to proceed to the NCTE’s Annual Conference website. |
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 PRIME TIME is set to host its second in-state Training Workshop this year. The workshop will be held in New Orleans on July 28 – 29, 2007 at LEH’s state-of-the-art Education Center in Turner’s Hall.
PRIME TIME Training Workshops offer intense instruction and practice in program philosophy, methodology, and implementation for new scholars, storytellers, pre-school coordinators, community organizers/translators and program coordinators. The PRIME TIME staff is pleased to welcome team members from 24 Louisiana sites, 2 Kansas sites, and 1 Georgia site. With approximately 80 registered participants, this is certain to be an exciting and enlightening event. For more information regarding the PRIME TIME Training Workshop, contact Shantrell Adams at adams@leh.org.
Find out more about LEH’s Education Center |
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 We are always fielding questions, getting feedback and asking opinions and suggestions about the many elements of PRIME TIME. In this segment, we will pose a frequently asked or pondered question and ask that you send us your reply. You may respond via our Listserv, if you are a member, or to Miranda Restovic at restovic@leh.org, moderator. In the next issue, we will share some of your answers!
Project Director, Faye Flanagan wants to know…
Q: What is your favorite book in the PRIME TIME series? Please tell us why!
Click here to view our sample bibliographies!
Respond to this question here: restovic@leh.org |
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