Reach Out and Read Minnesota’s Post

What do we do? We bring books to kids, empower families to read together, and build better brains! #BooksBuildBetterBrains

A book + a caring adult is a magic formula to grow a child's brain! Mendakota Pediatrics, Ltd

We were thrilled to present our 2024 Diane Loeffler Legislative Champion Award this year to Sen. Steve Cwodzinksi of MN district 49. A retired teacher, Sen. Cwodzinski is a constant champion of early learning in Minnesota who lead authored the Reach Out and Read bill last year in the Senate. This bill has been an absolutely transformational investment in our early learning program at clinics all across Minnesota! Thank you, Sen. Cwodzinski! https://lnkd.in/e2gSrhxa

301 clinics. 174 cities. 2,553 healthcare providers. More than 300,000 brand new books and smiles shared every single year. Find clinics near your community and all across the state on our interactive map!

Join us in celebrating Sue Goodemote, NP, our 2024 Gerald Gilchrist Medical Champion Award winner! Sue is a family practice nurse practitioner at Sanford Health in Mountain Lake and Windom, where she is an amazing champion of literacy and early developmental health for her young patients! Sue brought the Reach Out and Read program to her two clinics, secured funding for books from local foundations, regularly educates her colleagues about the program, and, on top of all of her other responsibilities, she continues to track book distribution for the program. Sue makes sure every small child leaves her clinic with a book in their hands and a smile on their face! Learn more about Sue here: https://lnkd.in/ehxZE3mB

We are thrilled to share that we will be sending out thousands of brand new, diverse books to clinics all across the state as a part of the national 35 for 35 initiative! This curated selection of books was created to celebrate 35 years of the Reach Out and Read program nationally, and will help bring 35 beautiful new titles to our catalogs to be shared with young children and their families at clinics all over Minnesota. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/exYm85cm

Introducing our awesome new Administrative and Operations Assistant, Elliott Barnhill! Elliott graduated from MIT with a double major in Physics and Literature—an auspicious start as we *also* love the intersection between science and reading! Before coming to Reach Out and Read Minnesota, he worked with a variety of nonprofits, including environmental and LGBTQ+ causes. His favorite things include "art, reading, outer space, and the state of Minnesota." Please join us in welcoming Elliott to the team! Learn more about Elliott and the rest of our team here: https://lnkd.in/gT32qEjd

We were so excited to talk with the Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians (MAFP) recently about how the Reach Out and Read program is bringing learning and early relationships to the center of children's care at clinics all across Minnesota. Check out this interview with our Communications and Development Manager, Liam Mackin, and learn why nearly 1,200 family physicians in Minnesota are using the Reach Out and Read program in their daily practice! https://lnkd.in/g5s353c7

We are thrilled to be here at the #RORleadership conference where our very own Nathan Tseboh Chomilo, MD, FAAP, FACP is leading a panel on creating systems change to better support early relational health. The panel also features Pahoua Yang H. from HealthPartners. What great MN representation here in NYC!

Wow, what an inspiring morning we had on Thursday at our Spring Benefit Breakfast! It brings us such joy and hope to see so many folks from all over the state be invested in supporting our youngest learners and their families. Watch the recording, including a fun and uplifting keynote address from @Michael Hall Studio & Books, here on our website: https://lnkd.in/eEktnuCe