Andrew Kirkland AmeriCorps VISTA, Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque As you go about your life, you might run into someone who is involved with AmeriCorps — maybe at work or just in the community. You might also wonder what AmeriCorps is. You’ve likely heard of the Peace Corps, the organization that sends volunteers to impoverished […]
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Summer Fun in Dubuque
Summer is a time for fun and relaxation — and a break from school. Summer also is a time of great opportunity. In Dubuque, we are lucky to have a wide variety of programs and events through which students can play and learn in hands-on, enriching environments. The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading partners recognize the […]

Summer Adventure: Overcoming the Summer Slide
The Jackson County Campaign for Grade-Level Reading is creating adventures for kids during the summer months. Now in its third year, Summer Adventure, a free, four-week summer program, provides an opportunity for students in Jackson County to explore reading in the morning and enjoy an afternoon of exciting enrichment activities. “We know that when we […]

New Jackson County Pilot Program to Boost Literacy Through Well-Child Visits
Inspired by a similar project in Dyersville, the Jackson County Campaign for Grade-Level Reading is partnering with Maquoketa Medical Associates to launch a pilot project to share books and the importance of reading to parents of young children at well-child visits. “It’s so crucial for parents to be engaged in the home with their children,” […]

Bilingual Books Increase Parent Engagement in Dyersville Schools
Research shows that learning begins long before a child enters kindergarten. Children—even infants—soak up words, rhymes, songs and images. Vocabulary development is particularly important. But what if parents at home don’t have access to books they can read in their native language? This is a problem partners in Dyersville realized parents of English as a […]

Dubuque Campaign to Host Parent Engagement Sessions at Multicultural Family Center
Studies have shown that parent engagement is crucial to a child’s well-being. When parents are engaged, students perform better in school. They earn better grades, improve test scores, increase attendance, gain more motivation and self-esteem, and have fewer behavioral issues. To address this need, the Dubuque Campaign is partnering with the Multicultural Family Center (MFC) […]

Meet Jamie
Jamie may just be a few months old, but like too many children from low-income families, she will begin school already far behind. Since Jamie is less likely to be read or spoken to regularly or have access to books, high-quality daycare, and prekindergarten programs, she will be two times more likely to experience developmental […]