Tennessee Education Association Honors Governor's Books from Birth Foundation, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library

State’s largest professional organization recognizes Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation with Friend of Education Award

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Education Association (TEA), which represents over 46,000 professionals working in the field of education, has chosen the Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation (GBBF) – in partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library – as the recipient of its Friend of Education Award in the organization category.

The Friend of Education Award is presented to an outstanding individual and an organization from a list of nominees submitted by local TEA associations throughout the state. The TEA Board of Directors created the Friend of Education Award as an annual recognition of a person and an organization whose leadership, acts and support have contributed significantly to the improvement of public education on a local or state level.

“We are honored by the TEA’s recognition of both the Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library,” said GBBF President Theresa Carl. “Through this Friend of Education Award, you have validated our efforts to instill a deep love of reading and learning in these small children, so that when you receive them in kindergarten, they are much more likely to be successful.”

Each month, Tennessee’s statewide Imagination Library mails a new, age-appropriate, high-quality book to registered preschool children from birth until age five - at no cost to families and regardless of income.

All of the state’s 407,000 children under age five have access to the Imagination Library.

“Tennessee is fortunate enough to have statewide participation in all 95 counties in the Imagination Library programs,” Carl added. “Our ‘trinity’ of goodwill – the Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, and the grassroots Imagination Library programs in each county – work together to ensure that all preschool aged children are able to receive their very own book each month.”

An increasing amount of research supports the idea that children who grow up around books typically achieve better educational outcomes in school.

“In a recent study conducted by the Urban Child Institute, research shows that programs like Books from Birth lead to early childhood language development, school readiness, grade progression, on-time graduation and college attendance,” Carl said. “The benefit of putting books in the hands of Tennessee’s preschoolers is truly immeasurable.”

About the GBBF:  The Governor's Books from Birth Foundation, in partnership with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, puts free, high-quality, age-appropriate books in the hands of registered Tennessee preschoolers statewide. Its mission is to support the ongoing, statewide operation of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library – assisting all Tennessee preschool children by developing their vocabularies, boosting their school readiness, and fostering a love of learning and reading – and ensure that free, high quality, age-appropriate books are mailed once a month directly to these children’s homes, from birth until age five. To learn how to support your county’s Imagination Library program, or for information on how to register a child, visit www.GovernorsFoundation.org, or call toll-free at 1-877-99-BOOKS.

About the TEA: The Tennessee Education Association is the state’s largest professional organization, representing more than 46,000 elementary and secondary teachers, school administrators, education support professionals, higher education faculty, and students preparing to become teachers.

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