The Literacy Project

10/08/2026

Raising a Reader engages children (from birth through age eight) and their parents/guardians to foster healthy brain development, positive relationships, a love of reading, and the literacy skills critical for school success. Each week this program provides preschool students across the county with a fresh set of award-winning children’s books packed into bright red bags.

These “rotating book bags” create a home/school connection that engages parents/guardians as participating partners in their child’s reading development.

We are happy to report that 84 percent of the Eagle County families who use Raising a Reader are reading to their children three or more times a week.

A few testimonials:
· “Great diversity of books, not just what we would pick at the library.”
· “I like that there are both English and Spanish books.”
· “New books were exciting for my child and she felt that they were picked specifically for her which made her feel special.”

For more information. visit literacyprojecteaglecounty.org/raising-a-reader.

This creative “rotating book bag” creates a home-school connection that engages parents as participating partners in their child’s reading development.

10/05/2026

Launched in 1982 in response to the high number of books challenged in libraries, bookstores, and schools, Banned Books Week highlights the value of free and open access to information. This week also unites librarians, educators, authors, publishers, booksellers, and readers to support the freedom to seek and express ideas.

By focusing on efforts across the country to remove or restrict access to books, Banned Books Week draws national attention to the harms of censorship. Here are a few examples of titles that have been banned or challenged throughout history.

10/01/2026

October is National Book Month! Created in 2003 by the National Book Foundation, this month promotes literacy, encourages exploring new genres, and highlights the value of reading.

Help us celebrate by sending photos of you (or your pets) with books to [email protected] so we can demonstrate how Eagle County shows up for literacy!

09/29/2026

Mark your calendars for October 9! Speech-language pathologist Tracey Grant, M.S., CCC-SLP is hosting a training at 10:15am at the Avon Library's Beaver Creek Room. Open to everyone - including people not currently involved in The Literacy Project - the training will examine the language foundations of reading while focusing on vocabulary. Tracey will delve into how to support our developing readers as they become more proficient while simultaneously learning new vocabulary words.

Bringing more than 25 years of experience supporting children with language and literacy development, Tracey has worked in both public and private school settings, with a particular focus on literacy, dyslexia, and language-based learning disabilities. She currently maintains a private practice serving elementary-aged students with language learning disabilities, helping build the skills they need to become confident and successful readers and learners.

Both Tracey and her husband are UGA Alumni and proud parents of three Georgia Bulldogs. When she’s not working, she can be found hiking, reading, exploring new places, or spending time with her golden doodle Remi.

09/25/2026

Happy Dolly Parton Day aka 9-25! A lifelong proponent of literacy, Parton initially launched the Imagination Library to benefit the children of her home county in Tennessee. Over 30 years ago, her vision was to foster a love of reading by giving each child a specially selected book every month. By mailing high quality, age appropriate books directly to their homes, Parton gave kids another reason to be excited about reading.

Since its launch, the Imagination Library has set and surpassed many goals and milestones - including taking its reach well beyond Tennessee (the first book order in 1995 was just over 1,700) and the United States. Now a worldwide program, Parton’s Imagination Library sends more than three million books per month to children around the world!

09/24/2026

We are excited to introduce our new tutor, Jaden Weiss, who recently graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder!

“I chose to volunteer with the Literacy Project because I believe everyone deserves to feel welcomed and confident when communicating with others. I also believe people of all ages should have the opportunity to learn, grow, and develop skills that allow them to feel more independent and connected within their community.”

Jaden says that volunteering as an ESL tutor will give him the opportunity to support others while building meaningful connections with people from different backgrounds. Welcome to the team!

09/22/2026

Happy first official day of fall! Our next Reading Buddies sessions begin September 28:

• Gypsum Public Library | six sessions | Mondays, September 28 - November 9 | 4:30-5:30pm
• Eagle Public Library | six sessions | Tuesdays, September 29 - November 10 | 4:30-5:30pm
• Avon Public Library | five sessions | Wednesdays, September 30 - November 4 | 4:30-5:30pm

*No sessions during Fall Break which is the week of October 12

By partnering with Eagle Valley Library District to pair teens with elementary-age children, this program is designed to nurture a love of reading, build confidence, and foster community connections.

In Reading Buddies, middle school and high school students volunteer as "Big Buddies" to mentor "Little Buddies" in grades K-4. While Big Buddies develop responsibility and leadership skills, Little Buddies gain literacy skills and confidence. Together, they enjoy one-on-one reading time, reading-based games, group activities, and moments of reflection - all in a fun and supportive environment.

09/17/2026

Staff Spotlight: An Eagle County resident since 1988, Mary Stalnaker has been the Co-Director of our Raising A Reader program for three years.

“I love being a part of a program that encourages families to create daily reading practices at home by providing high-quality, multicultural, and bilingual books for young children to take home each week,” Stalnaker says. “Parents who read to and with their children build literacy and language skills that last a lifetime.”

Over the years she has taught at several elementary and preschools schools throughout the Vail Valley, as well as multiple grade levels in Bangkok, Thailand!

09/15/2026

We are thrilled to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month which begins today (September 15) and runs through October 15. Honoring the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America, this celebratory week started in 1968.

September 15 signifies the anniversary of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Additionally, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and 18, respectively, and Columbus Day (Día de la Raza) is October 12.

Check out this video of Alonso and Executive Director Colleen Gray talking about how far he has come learning English with the help of our programming!

This is "Colleen and Alonso" by 11 Eleven Creatives on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

09/14/2026

Local author Alice Feagan provided the illustrations for David L. Harrison’s latest children’s book “Pumpkin On A Vine.” Released last week as part of the I Like to Read® series – which fosters vocabulary and encourages fluency – the book is a cumulative story that is fun for kids to read aloud. Get your copy today at The Bookworm of Edwards!