Missouri Humanities Council is pleased to announce a renewed partnership with Target in support of the Council's statewide family reading program, READ from the START. This program, which reached approximately 6600 Missouri parents and children last year, and 40,000 since its inception in 1996, is successful in both rural and urban settings, and with exceptional and at-risk families.

READ from the START is centered on family reading and based on the conviction that parents are children's first and most influential teachers. Our program offers a small collection of outstanding books appropriate for children from infancy to age five. Each selection appeals to both parent and child with attractive, colorful pictures that enhance an engaging story.

READ from the START is a sequence of group meetings with parents and other care givers, to read and enjoy the books, and to discuss ways that conversation based on stories can stimulate baby's development and the parent/child bond. We discuss book selection, and associating the spoken word with print and image, all important for developing mind of a child.

This grant is part of the ongoing support Target provides to local communities throught the country. Every week Target gives more than $2 million to strengthen families and communites across the nation, with a focus on education, the arts, social services, and other vital community partnerships.

Since 1971, the Missouri Humanities Council has provided thousands of programs to help Missourians enjoy a rich cultural life and develop community citizenship. Our mission is to enable families and communities to broaden their appreciation of history, literature, and the ideas that shape our democracy. In addition to READ from the START, our programs include: Chautauqua, community celebration of history; Charettes, consulting for local museums & cultural institutions; Museum on Main Street rural initiative of the Smithsonian Institution; as well as Grants and Initiatives to fund locally generated programs.

To learn more about READ from the START, or other Council activities, please visit our website, www.mohumanities.org.

MHC is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization affiliated with the National Endowment for the Humanities, a Federal agency.