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Dolly Parton literacy program coming to Oklahoma
Dolly Parton’s free book program is expanding into all Oklahoma counties and will be available to children ages five and below.
Aurora Stewart Student Writer
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The famed country music star Dolly Parton has created a legacy even beyond her iconic discography by working to help combat illiteracy all over the world. Her Imagination Library program delivers a free book every month to children ages five and under.
Parton’s library is expanding its reach into new Oklahoma counties. The program was previously only available in select rural areas of OK, but is now spreading county by county.
The Oklahoma State department announced it will dedicate $2.5 million of its federal stimulus funds to cover half the $2.10 per-child cost of this program as a way to increase literature access in all 77 counties. They will allocate this federal funding through 2024. The rest of the cost will fall to nonprofits, school districts, businesses and other local affiliates. To make the library available to children in their county, the cost will be $1.05 per child.
Access to this program is available to families of any income level, as long as they have a child between birth age and five years old.
Parton and the state aim to bring the Imagination Library to all 264,000 Oklahoman children ages five and below. Regarding the expansion, Parton said “Together let’s inspire a love of reading and learning in every child in Oklahoma,”
Dolly Parton created her library to honor her father who could neither read nor write. It started in 1995 in her home county in Tennessee, and quickly expanded. It can now be found in many different states, Native American communities and even foreign countries. According to Parton, “When I was growing up in the hills of East Ten-
courtesy ImaginationLibrary.com Dolly Parton is an advocate for literacy in the United States and other countries. nessee, I knew my dreams would come true. I know there are children in your community with their own dreams. They dream of becoming a doctor or an inventor or a minister. Who knows, maybe there is a little girl whose dream is to be a writer and singer. The seeds of these dreams are often found in books and the seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world.”
According to the World Population Review, the literacy rate in Oklahoma is 87.7%. Research proves how important the targeting of young children is in increasing the rate of literacy. An analysis by the National Early Literacy Panel corroborates that early childhood exposure to reading and at home parent involvement in reading have a significant correlation with increased literacy capacities.
Oklahoma is joining ten other states who have also implemented this program state-wide. A bill from state Rep. Tammy Townley, R-Ardmore and state Sen. John Haste, R-Broken Arrow, was created back in 2020 and encoded the Imagination Library Fund in state law. This came after Muskogee and Cherokee counties lost the necessary funds to continue making the Imagination Library available.
The oversight of implementing the new funding program falls to the state department of education. This funding has already allowed new families in Muskogee and Cherokee counties to utilize the program. Based on this immediate impact alone, it can be assumed the expansion of this program will help books find their way into many new homes all throughout Oklahoma.
Historic Oklahoma City church demolished early last week
Preservationists protested the demolition of the Historic Oklahoma City church but were ultimately unsuccessful.
Myranda New Student Writer
On Monday Sep. 26, an iconic Oklahoma City structure was demolished after standing since 1956. Known as the egg church, First Christian Church was torn down within the same day its permit to be destroyed was approved.
Sitting at Walker Ave. and Northwest 36th St., the place of worship was well-recognized for its avant-garde architecture featuring a dome atop the main entry designed by Conner & Pojezny. Many residents say the dome gave it character and that it made the city special. cost. One of these costs was the asbestos removal effect that had been ongoing.
Crossings Community Church approached the market in 2019 and considered buying the church to turn it into another location. Months later, they declined the purchase, saying “the overall cost was much higher than we anticipated.”
Around the same time, an owner focused on redevelopment considered the purchase, but also it fell through, sparking the conversation on what would ultimately come of the church.
Petitions supporting the church have been flooded in an attempt to prevent its demolition, including getting the church on the National Register of Historic Places. But this does not protect the church when it is under a non-federal owner, such as in this scenario. This is the second landmark in Oklahoma City on the National Register of Historic Places to
Local activist Mark Faulk was interviewed by KOCO 5 News following the demolition. He has been outspoken about this project since the beginning of its demolition threats years prior.
“You get it approved at 8:01, and they’re tearing it down at 8:02,” Faulk said. “There’s not another building like it in the entire world, and as we bulldoze all of our history in Oklahoma City, we’re taking our character away.”
After the Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995, First Christian Church was a location of refuge, where numerous families went to be reunited or soughtmedical and resourceful support. Over the course of sixteen days, the American Red Cross worked out of its walls. For a period of time, the church also doubled as a preschool where Oklahoma City residents were educated. It was more than a space meant for those of a specific religion.
In 2016, the church was placed on the market, where it sat dormant for years. The upkeep expenses were massive, forcing the owners to recognize the extent of its overall be demolished, after John M. Johansen’s Mummers Theater.
The Architect’s Newspaper reached out to Chantry Banks, the executive director of Preservation OKlahoma to get a statement.
“We are saddened by the sudden demolition of the First Christian Church here in Oklahoma City,” Banks said. “Several concerned citizens in the community had been assured over the last few months that the structure was safe and nothing was being done, except for asbestos abatement.”
Banks then goes on to describe how actions were being done to make the church look more desirable for a buyer, and within weeks before its demolition, the church was receiving offers. It seemed that the offers would go through, but instead, a demolition permit was obtained, and the church was down within the hour. Banks described how there were no barriers during the demolition, and people were walking freely to view it.
“I hope that looking forward our city council and people in charge in Oklahoma City will stop and think about what makes the city special, and it’s not another condo project, and it’s not another convenience store, and it’s not another Starbucks,” Faulk said.
There are no current public announcements on what will be built in replacement.
courtesy Facebook @Abandond Oklahoma The Egg Church was an iconic figure of the OKC skyline until its demolition early last week.
