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The Federation of State Humanities Councils serves as the national advocate for the state humanities councils with the goal of supporting the critical role of the humanities in the private and public lives of the nation's people. Because the written word is central to the study of the humanities, the state humanities councils are committed to the expansion of literacy and reading.
First Book, a nationwide nonprofit organization, gives disadvantaged children the opportunity to read and own their first new book. First Book works with existing community-based family-literacy, tutoring, and mentor programs to distribute new books to children who are at risk of failing at school or of developing inadequate literacy skills. First Book targets children and families who, for economic or other reasons, have little or no access to books outside school. Through its book distributions, it encourages children to develop the self-confidence that owning a book can bring.
The 4-H Program, founded in 1900, now has over 5,500,000 participants, in rural and urban areas, in 3,150 counties in the United States and its territories. The purpose of the program is to help young people acquire knowledge, develop life skills, and form attitudes that will enable them to become self-directing, contributing members of society. Literacy and the habit of reading are prerequisites to all that the program seeks to accomplish. Over 1 million adult and teen volunteers work directly with youth participants at the local level.
Friends of Libraries, U.S.A., is a volunteer support network for over 2,800 groups nationwide that have a direct interest in libraries and the enjoyment of reading.
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[Literacy Services of Other Organizations: G]