Running from February 18 to March 25 at the National Children and Mobile Library, the pilot program serves 23 children and their families. Weekly sessions create opportunities for caregivers to engage in hands-on training using practical, play-based strategies to build their children's reading skills alongside their child. They then continue reinforcing these strategies at home, fostering a supportive literacy environment beyond the program.
 
"We are thrilled to bring this program to Ghana," said Camesha Cox, Founder and Executive Director of The Reading Partnership, a Canadian charity delivering evidence-informed literacy programs since 2012. "Partnering with the Ghana Library Authority allows us to extend our mission of building community and cultivating a love of reading to families in Accra. By supporting parents with developing the skills and confidence to guide their children's literacy development, we're reaching across borders to help inspire families and create lifelong readers and learners."

Angela Osei Gyan, Head of Corporate Affairs for the emphasized the importance of this initiative: "This partnership represents our commitment to innovative approaches in literacy development. By focusing on parental engagement in early childhood reading, we're addressing a crucial foundation for educational success. We look forward to seeing the impact of this program on participating families and exploring opportunities to scale it to other communities."

The program emphasizes building community. To ensure accessibility, the program provides on-site childcare for siblings and a shared meal for the entire family and program delivery team at each session. Caregivers and children engage in guided learning activities using a free Literacy Kit ("Lit Kit") filled with educator-designed books, games, and other learning resources. Caregivers also connect with facilitators and each other to navigate challenges, celebrate successes, and support one another in fostering their children's growth into strong, engaged readers.
 
GhLA staff and six recent graduates from the University of Ghana's Department of Teacher Education completed a two-day intensive training with The Reading Partnership to prepare for program delivery. Through this experience, they are gaining valuable hands-on practice while strengthening their skills in early literacy facilitation and family engagement. Their involvement not only supports participating families but also deepens their ability to foster children's literacy development in future educational settings.

The program is also supported by Telecel Ghana, which provides portable internet connectivity at the library during program sessions, ensuring facilitators are able to access and deliver digital literacy resources to participating families.
 
About The Reading Partnership
The Reading Partnership's mission is to build community and cultivate a love of reading for children and families through inclusive, interactive, and evidence-informed literacy programming. Their vision is that every child, in every community has the literacy skills and self-determination to positively impact their world. Since 2012, The Reading Partnership has been delivering Reading Partnership for Parents. This signature program has helped hundreds of caregivers teach their children ages 4-6 to read. In recognition of the program's impact, The Reading Partnership's Founder and Executive Director, Camesha Cox, was selected as an Ashoka Fellow, joining a global network of changemakers who are creating innovative and scalable solutions to pressing social problems.
 
For more information, visit readingpartnership.com.
 
About Ghana Library Authority
The Ghana Library Authority (GhLA) is the only public institution in Ghana mandated to establish, equip, maintain, and manage public libraries in the country. The GhLA is committed to providing equitable access to knowledge resources and promoting literacy through various programs and initiatives across 137 branch locations and online. For more information, visit ghanalibrary.org.