ADDRESSING CHILD LITERACY
Equity‑Based Cradle‑to‑Career Initiative
This NSERC‑funded project tackled early‑literacy gaps across Windsor‑Essex County by co‑creating and piloting a 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program with public‑library partners—advancing equitable outcomes for children aged 0‑5.
Program Overview
Addressing Child Literacy Concerns in Windsor‑Essex County was a three‑year applied‑research collaboration between St. Clair College and ProsperUs Windsor‑Essex. Guided by Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory, the team mapped community assets, engaged caregivers through focus groups and co‑designed a place‑based early‑literacy intervention centred on 1000 Books Before Kindergarten (1BBK).
Four milestones drove the work: (1) community data & asset mapping; (2) co‑development of the 1BBK pilot; (3) implementation across four library branches; and (4) knowledge‑transfer via reports, media and conference presentations. Quantitative pre/post surveys and library‑usage data evidenced significant gains in children's enthusiasm for reading, parent engagement and library circulation.
Impact By Numbers
Program Details
Target Group
Families with children aged 0‑5 living in West Windsor, Downtown Windsor and Leamington neighbourhood clusters identified by ProsperUs' Neighbourhood Opportunity Index.
Goal
Ignite early‑literacy interest, equip caregivers and connect families to wrap‑around supports—paving a cradle‑to‑career pathway out of inter‑generational poverty.
Resources & Curriculum
The 1BBK pilot layered evidence‑based literacy practices with community‑requested enhancements:
Core Components
- 1 Book Log & Milestone Rewards
- Weekly Story‑times (English & Multilingual)
- Monthly Caregiver Workshops (+ grocery‑card incentives)
- Library‑led outreach via social & mobile units
Technology & Data
- Interactive asset‑mapping dashboard
- Digital registration & pre/post surveys (160 → 41 responses)
- Real‑time circulation tracking (3 760 literacy items)
- Mixed‑methods analysis for continuous improvement
Our Team
Faculty Researchers
Kathryn Markham‑Petro
Principal Investigator
Danielle Koresky
Co‑Investigator
Researchers
Beckie Berlasty
Researcher
Alexandra Frabotta
Researcher
David Potocek
Researcher
Sodiq Shofoluwe
Researcher
Student Researchers
Funders & Partners
Funder
Funder
NSERC‑CCSIF
Community Partners
Partner
United Way
Partner
ProsperUs
Project Deliverables
Access the full suite of reports and media coverage produced through the project:
Business Case
Evidence base underpinning project design & investment rationale.
Comprehensive Final Report
Full methodology, findings and recommendations.
Project Overview Deck
At‑a‑glance summary used for stakeholder briefings.
Community Vulnerability Profiles
Secondary‑data analysis that informed neighbourhood targeting.
Media Coverage
Regional newspaper article on early‑literacy findings.
Research Findings Released
Official St. Clair College news release summarising key outcomes.
Research & Impact
Mixed‑methods evaluation showed 86 % of caregivers perceived literacy‑skill gains, while library data logged a 40 % surge in picture‑book circulation. Workshop feedback underscored caregiver confidence and desire for continued culturally responsive resources.
Key Outcomes
- Raised early‑years reading enthusiasm (57 % ↑)
- Enhanced caregiver literacy strategies (45 % ↑)
- Generated 40 new library memberships
- Model now embedded in library programming roadmap
Knowledge Mobilisation
- 2 Windsor Star features & CBC Radio segment
- Conference poster & rapid‑fire presentation
- Public "How‑To" toolkit for other Ontario colleges
- Assets integrated into ProsperUs Cradle‑to‑Career strategy
Looking Forward
Building on pilot success, St. Clair College and partners aim to scale 1BBK across all county branches, add Indigenous‑language story‑times and integrate a mobile digital‑badge platform to gamify reading milestones.
Longer‑term, the research team will track cohort‑level EQAO scores to examine sustained literacy gains, feeding insights into ProsperUs' cradle‑to‑career continuum and informing provincial early‑years policy.