RIF Pittsburgh programs are embedded in the city’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods, where children face a substantial literacy gap even before they start kindergarten.
We are working to address the uneven access to resources and opportunities that contribute to this disparity by delivering programs to seven target neighborhoods – East Liberty, Hazelwood, the Hill District, Homewood/East Hills, North Side, South Side, and Wilkinsburg.
Our research-based programs are designed to build the foundations of success, in school and in life, through book ownership, motivational activities, and positive reading experiences that engage the child’s family, neighborhood, and the larger community that surrounds them.
THE STORYMOBILE
Our lending-libraries-on-wheels are RIF Pittsburgh’s street ambassadors, making bi-weekly visits to dozens of early childhood centers, preschools, and kindergarten classrooms across Pittsburgh and Wilkinsburg. Learn more.
BOOK BABIES
Book Babies, our young family engagement program, is an acknowledgement that parents are their children’s first teachers, critical to developing literacy and school-readiness. The program provides books, resources, modeling and support for parents/caregivers and tots, up to age 3, nurturing early, at-home literacy development. Learn more.
BOOKS FOR KEEPS
Our largest program features fun, educational Reading Celebrations that combine storytimes, motivational literacy activities, and the opportunity to select a book to take home and keep. Children at more than 80 schools, early childhood centers, and after-school programs participate in 3-5 interactive Reading Celebrations a year. Learn more.
EVERYBODY WINS! and RIF READERS
Our literacy mentoring programs pair pre-K to third-graders with corporate and community volunteers to share conversation and books. Students benefit from the one-on-one encouragement of a caring adult, while mentors enjoy making a difference in a young person’s life, whether in the classroom or the boardroom! Learn more.
