Volunteers are needed at College of the Mainland bright and early on Saturday, February 25th!  Beginning at 7:00 AM, SMART Family Literacy volunteers will welcome early childhood educators of children ages 3, 4, and 5 to a musical workshop.  RSVP if you will help between 7 and Noon.      

Yaga's Children's Fund announced their 2012 grant recipients and SMART Family Literacy is on the lucky list! To learn about Yaga's Wild Game Cookoff, which is a great big fundraiser, go to http://www.yagaschildrensfund.org.   

We've recently enjoyed the brightly colored gems, Animal Boogie, The Journey Home from Grandpa's, and Portside Pirates, especially fun reading with 4-year olds!  These musical books are available from Barefoot Books with singalong CDs.  You may even find them on You Tube.   

"A Salute To Children's Literature" is the theme for the Mardi Gras Children's Parade at 2:00 PM on Sunday, February 19, 2012 in Galveston. SMART Family Literacy volunteers and Rosenberg Library will appear and will give away some books.  To see celebrities, Clifford the Big Red Dog, The Cat in the Hat, and Skippy Jon Jones, look for the red firetruck float!  To learn all about the Firefighters Children's Parade, go to  http://childrensparade.org.  

All SMART Volunteers were appreciated at an Ice Cream (plus pizza) Social on January 20th. Laura Timm, who has been volunteering since 2008, was named 2011 SMART Volunteer of the Year! Laura has been a consistent reader to pre-Kindergarten children and has also recruited new volunteers.  Congratulations, Laura! 

Donate with Double Impact!  Today is a great day to donate to SMART Family Literacy because the Permanent Endowment Fund of Moody Methodist Church has offered a $5,000 challenge grant for books!  With every $2 donation, SMART Family Literacy can provide a new age appropriate book to a child who needs one.  Great value for your money with the challenge grant creating double the impact!  The tax deductible opportunity is now!  

SMART Family Literacy was privileged to provide 65 books for the December 8th holiday party at UTMB's Early Childhood Intervention Launch.  At-risk children served by ECI Launch are 3 years old and under.    

Students from College of the Mainland rallied in support of literacy at the December 8th family literacy party.  An impressive fourteen students, their friends and family members, volunteered to give books to pre-school children and families from C.O.M.'s lab school!  Great community spirit!  

Books are the topic at Hooks-Epstein Gallery.  You can see art inspired by books and even created from books.  Our own Mark Greenwalt has a piece in the show.  To discover more, go to: www.hooksepsteingalleries.com.  

To see the process used by painter Rene Wiley, take a look at http://artsmudge.com/2011/11/painting-with-galveston-artist-rene-wiley/or click on the red "Art" button above.