Editor’s note: This is the first of a series of reports showcasing the organizations that received grant funding through the Freeborn County Communities Foundation.

Organization: Albert Lea Area Schools

Project: Literacy promotion

Report: Albert Lea Area Schools is using the Freeborn County Communities Foundation grant to support promoting literacy.

The Albert Lea Public Library and Albert Lea Area Schools will again host joint literacy nights for parents and students to promote reading. By offering these events at the public library, it is showcased for many families.

Free books will be given away to children, as well as a light meal for families to participate in the literacy events.

Last year, over a two-night span, 2,036 people attended. The response was overwhelming.

There will be activities again this year. For example, when families arrive, they are given a literacy passport. They must go to all of the stations, and then they will be registered to receive even more books. The stations include Patty Greibrok, children’s librarian, who does reading activities in the library, meeting a member of the Albert Lea Police Department and eating supper with the Albert Lea firefighters.

Another station is a parent-information station for parents to learn to know how to best help their student with their reading at home. The last station is the book grant station. This is where students can pick out a book of their choosing.

The books used are from the First Book Grant that the district received.