Follett Educational Foundation
Jan 15, 2025
Contribution to support children in Aurora, IL and nearby cities in Kane County including North Aurora, Geneva, St. Charles, Elburn, Sugar Grove, Maple Park, Big Rock, Hinckley, & South Elgin
AURORA, Illinois: Follett Educational Foundation is pleased to announce a significant commitment to support Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in Aurora and nearby cities in Kane County, including North Aurora, Geneva, St. Charles, Elburn, Sugar Grove, Maple Park, Big Rock, Hinckley, and South Elgin. A $100,000 foundation grant has been established to ensure that every child from birth to age five can benefit from this renowned early childhood literacy program.
The funding will enable the program's implementation, including enrolling children, processing sign-ups, and ensuring the books reach the intended recipients. This new initiative aligns with the Follett Educational Foundation’s mission to ensure a lasting impact on education and literacy. For 150 years, the Follett family-owned businesses in the Chicagoland area existed to get books into the hands of kindergarten through higher education students nationwide.
Foundation President, Britten Follett says, “While the family no longer owns those businesses, our Foundation is committed to ensure every child has access to books. Partnering with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to provide books to every child born in Aurora and nearby cities, was a perfect opportunity for us to give back to the communities and team members who helped build the Follett businesses over the years and further our mission to deliver books to underserved communities.”
This donation ensures that over 20,000 children in Aurora and nine cities in nearby Kane County from birth to age 5 can receive a free, high-quality book each month. This universal access will help bridge any economic or social gaps, providing all children with the opportunity to develop a love for reading. The funding will enable Fox Valley United Way to administer the program's implementation, including enrolling children, processing sign-ups, and ensuring the books reach the intended recipients.
“We are incredibly grateful for the generous funding from Follett,” said Lisa Foydel, Director of Engagement at Fox Valley United Way. “This will create an extraordinary opportunity to share the magic of the Imagination Library children throughout our service area! Early literacy has been at the heart of our mission for many years, and this donation will amplify our impact in ways we could only dream of!”
"We are thrilled to bring the Imagination Library to every child in Aurora," said Andi Drileck, Illinois State Director of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. "This generous support from Follett Educational Foundation is a testament to the power of community partnerships in fostering early childhood literacy and educational success."
Parents and guardians in Aurora, North Aurora, Geneva, St. Charles, Elburn, Sugar Grove, Maple Park, Big Rock, Hinckley, and South Elgin can enroll their children in the Imagination Library program free of charge. For more information on how to enroll your child, please visit https://imaginationlibrary.com/usa/ or https://www.foxvalleyunitedway.org/dolly-partons-imagination-library or contact info@foxvalleyunitedway.org
About Follett Educational Foundation
Established in 1964, the Follett Educational Foundation has issued more than $5 million in higher education scholarships. Today, its Four Brother Scholarship program, named after Dwight, Garth, Bob, and Laddie, the brothers who grew the individual divisions of Follett Corporation, awards college and trade school scholarships to deserving students at Oak Park River Forest High School, Proviso East, and McHenry County College. The Foundation is expanding its philanthropic endeavors to improve literacy outcomes in communities in need. https://www.folletteducationalfoundation.org/
About Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
Since launching in 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has become the preeminent early childhood book-gifting program in the world. The flagship program of The Dollywood Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, has gifted over 250 million free books in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and The Republic of Ireland. This is achieved through funding shared by The Dollywood Foundation and Local Community and [State/Provincial/National] Partners. The Imagination Library mails more than 3 million high-quality, age-appropriate books directly to children’s homes each month. Each child enrolled in the program receives one book per month from birth to age five - at no cost to families. Dolly envisioned creating a lifelong love of reading and inspiring children to Dream More, Learn More, Care More and Be More.
The program’s impact has been widely researched, and results demonstrate its positive impact on early childhood development and literacy skills. Penguin Random House is the exclusive publisher of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. For more information, please visit imaginationlibrary.com.
For more information, please contact:
Andi Drileck
Illinois State Director, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
217.280.6037
adrileck@il.imaginationlibrary.com
Britten Follett
President, Follett Educational Foundation
815-271-2675