Kittanning Library Awarded Preschool Grant

by Jonathan Weaver

Local toddlers will have more ways to laugh and learn this fall when they visit the library.

Kittanning Public Library staff members are using a $13,600 grant from the Grable Foundation – headquartered in Pittsburgh – to help produce “First Steps at Kittanning Public Library,” more than two dozen backpacks filled of books and learning resources to help preschool children prepare for kindergarten.

Kittanning Library Director Amanda Gearhart explained.

“It’s a grant for us to be able to put together story hour kits that we will be using in the library, but also loaning out to parents and teachers to use with their children,” Gearhart said. “Parents, teachers, preschool workers – they’re geared for preschoolers for ages 3-5. The underlying goal of the whole project is to have the preschoolers ready for kindergarten.”

‘First Steps at Kittanning Public Library’ also enables the library to restart Story Hour during the fall. The program was not available last year due to funding cuts.

Story Hour begins Friday, September 9 at 10:30AM and will last every week throughout the fall season.

The grant was able to produce a minimum of 25 kits, but staff members will create closer to 30.

“We have 25 different kits, so each one is focused on a different topic – like community helpers, starting kindergarten, dinosaurs, pirates – so everyone has looked for books that fit with that theme. Each kit has between 3-5 books,” Gearhart said.

Gearhart has a selection process for books to go in the backpacks, which includes making sure the books are appropriate to the age group, with colorful illustrations and have a wide range of vocabulary.

A lesson plan, songs and rhymes and other activities associated with the theme are also available in the kits.

Gearhart said she found out about the grant and quickly applied before the May inquiry deadline.

“I’m always looking for grant funding, so I came across the foundation’s website and felt this program fit with the types of things they provide grants for,” Gearhart said.

Library personnel found out they received the funding – which was tabulated after construction of the 2011 fiscal year budget and officially awarded to the Friends of the Library – in June.

Gearhart said the funding also helped toward another library program.

“Part of the money also was to fund our Music Time, so we were able to purchase new instruments,” Gearhart said.

The kits will also include a music CD associated with that theme because of the funding.

Music Time will begin Tuesday, September 13 at 12:30PM at the library.

Gearhart said preparing for the library events is a community effort.

“We’re working with volunteers from the community to get their feedback and they’re helping us select the books and put some of the things together,” Gearhart said.

Library staff will also share their new materials with the community by visiting local daycares and preschools to also have story hours with the grant funding this fall.

Anyone with a library card is eligible to check out the kits for two weeks.

Anyone from Southwestern Pennsylvania was eligible to apply for the grant.