March was National Reading Month and the community was encouraged to join and support the local Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Program. The Virgin Islands Children’s Museum became the USVI affiliate for the program at the end of 2017 after the first museum had been destroyed by hurricanes Irma and Maria.
Thanks to the help of the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI) and Scoops & Brew, the museum was able to welcome this simple but effective literacy program to the territory and has since delivered books to thousands of children under five in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program is not currently funded; therefore, the VI Children’s Museum decided to ask the community for its support during National Reading Month. There are about 900 children currently registered in the program, which costs the museum about $2,000 per month to operate, including the books and shipping.
“We are hoping to get this program fully funded so we can not only expand the program to more children but not worry about covering the cost of this necessary programming out of our own operating expenses, which include rent and payroll,” said Chantel Hoheb, museum director.
This month, members of the community could stop into Scoopy & Brew in Crown Bay, Mango Media in Yacht Haven Grande or Chelsea Drug Store in Red Hook, St. Thomas, to donate towards the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program. They could scan the QR code to join the program or donate online. Anyone who is not on St. Thomas or was not able to visit one of the donation locations, can visit this link to learn more about the program and how to support it. https://www.vichildrensmuseum.org/imaginationlibrary.
The Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Program offers free high quality, age-appropriate books each month to children who are under the age of 5. Members of the V.I. community who are able to pay for this program may spend about $35 per year, which is a great deal considering the lack of bookstores currently on island. Whether someone is able to pay for the program or not, this program encourages family reading, early childhood literacy and positive connections between parents and children.
“March was such a full month that we may extend the community donation stations into April. With V.I. History Month, Youth Art Month and International Women’s Month, National Reading Month may have gone unnoticed for some.
“We are also curating a literacy themed At-Home Discovery Kit to be distributed in April. In addition to the amazing establishments that agreed to collect donations for the VI Children’s Museum, we would like to thank Searena Properties and Charter Caribe for agreeing to match our donation collections,” said Hoheb.
People can support the Virgin Islands Children’s Museum and its programs by visiting its website at www.vichildrensmuseum.org or mailing a check to P.O. Box 304457, St. Thomas, VI 00803. They can also donate to their GlobalGiving projects at https://bit.ly/3rw9apL.
The VI Children’s Museum is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization that has survived two Category 5 hurricanes and is still struggling to keep its doors open during the COVID-19. It is an untraditional interactive educational space that currently caters to children under 13 years of age. Their exhibits and other programming are based in S.T.R.E.A.M. concepts (Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Art and Mathematics). The museum is not funded by the government — contrary to popular belief — and has managed to survive with the support of donations from the community, corporate sponsors and members.
