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West Virginia Public Broadcasting is programming and related services that impact your life in ways no other media can.

NEIGHBORHOOD INVESTMENT PROGRAM

Your $500 contribution helps kids read!

Through the Neighborhood Investment Program (NIP), your contribution to West Virginia Public Broadcasting could support our Ready To Learn Raising Readers Initiative. You could also earn credits to reduce certain West Virginia taxes.

Raising Readers is a new addition to West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s successful Ready To Learn service. Activities and materials focus on early reading skills by incorporating the most recent educational research about the many ways children learn from different types of media including print, the Internet and television.

In West Virginia, Raising Readers is working to help meet the literacy needs of children ages 2-8, specifically in low-income families.

The first Raising Readers project was held in McDowell County. West Virginia Public Broadcasting and dozens of community partners worked with approximately 100 children over the course of the summer.

These children either took part in a free Raising Readers camp, participated in a “Raising Readers Adventure” through the local library, or both. Before and after skills assessments showed demonstrable improvement in basic reading skills such as letter and word recognition, rhyming, sentence structure and story sequencing.

More activities are planned for the fall and winter including several public awareness efforts and community events. For example, our partners are working on a grocery store game that will help parents incorporate simple literacy skill games as they shop; an activity they already do on a regular basis.

Additionally, the local media is running a series of announcements reminding families of other activities they can conveniently do with their children any time, any where to improve their reading skills.

Individuals or businesses who make an eligible contribution to West Virginia Public Broadcasting prior to December 31, 2009, may claim their NIP credit for the 2009 tax year. For every eligible $500 contribution, a $250 West Virginia state tax credit will be received. The supply of tax credits is limited and subject to certain restrictions. Contact Marilyn DiVita at 888-596-9729, ext. 4906 for more information.