In many New York communities, people do not consider reading as something important or leave it only in the hands of school. But what would happen if I also started at home, in the subway or even in the neighborhood park? That vision guides the work of Literacy Inc. (Linc), a non -profit organization that converts child literacy into a community mission.
“We work directly in the community to promote early literacy and highlight the importance of reading children from very early ages, even from pregnancy. It is not just about reading a book, but to take them to the park or cultural institutions such as the zoo and the Botanical Garden. We collaborate with these organizations so that families can access those spaces free of charge,” said Arisbel Villa, community director, community director, community director, community director, community director.
The United States faces a worrying crisis of literacy. Only 33% of fourth grade students read competition, according to the National Evaluation of Educational Progress (NAEP). Among Latin children, the figure drops to less than 23%. These statistics reflect structural inequalities: limited access to books, lack of school resources and linguistic barriers, especially in immigrant and low -income communities.
From a park in the Bronx, Villa summarizes the mission of Linc in a simple but powerful phrase:
“We want each time a family attend a program, the child takes a book. Thus, the more programs participate, the more books he will have, and little by little he will form his own library at home.”
Villa adds that, for many families, buying books or visiting cultural institutions in the city represents an unattainable expense. “That is why we are looking for all this to be accessible to our community,” he emphasized.
From Manhattan to Staten Island, passing through the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn, Linc surrounds the children of environments rich in reading. His proposal is clear: activate what already exists in neighborhoods. Libraries, parks, community centers, businesses and even homes become spaces where literacy can flourish.
But the LINC approach goes beyond distributing books or making events. The organization is committed to sustainable change: train parents as literacy leaders, empowering them with tools, knowledge and trust to sow love for reading from home.
One of those leaders is Gladys Gómez, an active participant of the Vray Involved Parents (VIP) program, which involves mothers and fathers as volunteers in Linc reading events. She not only participates, also supports other families in the learning process.
“We have noticed that in the last five years many young children have become too accustomed to electronic devices. They know how to handle a tablet or open Netflix, but they do not know how to follow a book or answer basic questions such as who the character is, what is the problem or the solution in a story,” says Gomez.
His voluntary work has allowed him to see closely how frequent contact with books transforms the attention, concentration and curiosity of children. In addition, it emphasizes the importance of reaching families early:
“We want to support families with what they need – useful resources that can take advantage of from now on, as early as possible – so that their children get to school better prepared and can reach higher goals.”
Ana Karen Vásquez, mother of three girls of 2, 5 and 10 years, has participated in Linc for five years, when her second daughter was born. Thanks to the programs, he says, his daughters have not only developed a genuine love for books, they have also improved their school performance and development in everyday life.
“Whenever we come to events we get something new. Like today, we learned about figures and how to prepare for the first day of school, and then we continue working at home,” says Vásquez.
For her, Linc reminds her that the role of parents goes far beyond covering basic needs.
“Sometimes we think that being parents is just giving roof, coat and food, but we must also prepare to offer tools that allow them not only to survive, but to succeed in life,” he says.
Adriana Guerrero, mother of a three -year -old boy, also highlights the positive impact that the program has had on her family:
“We have a year and a half coming to Linc. It has helped us a lot to practice reading and knowing the letters and numbers. For moms, this experience is very valuable, because we learn how to help our children get better results in school,” he says.
In a world where early education defines the future of a child, Linc demonstrates that reading should not be a privilege. It can and should be part of the day to day: accessible, significant and community.
If you want to learn more about the free programs offered by Linc and the places where they are carried out, visit your website: www.lincnyc.org.
