Studer's donate to Literacy for Life

Wow!! Amazing!! Game Changer!! These were just a few of the community reactions heard by Executive Director of the Stateline Community Foundation, Tara Tinder, and Dr. Bill Flanagan, Chair of the newly named Stateline Community Foundation’s Literacy for Life Initiative when they received word that Quint and Rishy Studer were making a very generous gift of $500,000 in support of the Foundation’s Literacy for Life Initiative. This game-changing gift will significantly impact the Initiative’s goal of promoting early childhood brain development and literacy for newborn babies born in Rock County, and will make it possible to address three specific goals of the Initiative.

The first goal of the Initiative addressed by this gift will be the hiring of a fulltime Director of Early Brain Development who will lead the effort in directing and growing the Foundation’s Literacy for Life Initiative in all of Rock County. A major goal of this position will be to register families for The Basics Program developed and designed at Harvard University by Dr. Ron Ferguson. As one part of this program, mothers will receive two texts each week that are calibrated to their child’s age. The first text will explain what a child’s brain development is at a particular time. The second text contains ideas and suggestions for what moms and families can do to help their baby’s brain develop from birth to age three.

When making their gift to the Foundation, Quint and Rishy Studer stated: “research shows us that 85% of the child’s brain is developed in a baby’s first three years of life. It is vital that we encourage and educate parents on how to develop their baby’s brain from day one.” The Studer’s believe The Basics program has been designed to implement this extensive research through its five tenets which have been shown to be extremely effective in early childhood brain development. For those interested in more information about The Basics, this link has been provided: thebasics.org

The second goal of the Initiative impacted by this gift will be the development of a united Rock County effort that ensures all children born in Rock County will be ready for kindergarten by age 5. Thanks to this gift, the Director of Early Brain Development will expand the number of health systems, school districts, communities, non-profits, businesses and others who believe that every child born in Rock County deserves the opportunity to be successful. The chances of a child being successful in school and life improves dramatically if brain development is enhanced from birth to age five. Children who are ready for kindergarten have a significantly better chance of achieving their educational, personal and career goals which also translates into a better quality of life for them, their family and community. In short, it is a win-win for the child, family, schools, community, employers when resources, like this gift, are invested in early childhood brain development and literacy.

Finally, this gift will ensure that the Stateline Community Foundation’s Literacy for Life Initiative will have a permanent home with the Foundation which will provide continuity, management, vision, leadership, educational materials and support for the Rock County Pillars and Partners who support the Initiative’s early childhood brain development and literacy goals. Thanks to Quint and Rishy Studer, the vision of every child in Rock County being ready for kindergarten becomes a reality.

For more information about this gift, the Stateline’s Literacy for Life Initiative and how to get involved please contact: Tara Tinder, Executive Director of the Stateline Community Foundation ([email protected]) or Dr. Bill Flanagan, Chair, Stateline Community Foundation’s Literacy for Life Initiative ([email protected])