Dollywood Foundation facts for kids
The Dollywood Foundation Logo
|
|
| Formation | 1986 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Dolly Parton |
| Headquarters | Sevierville, Tennessee |
| Location |
|
The Dollywood Foundation was started in 1988 by famous singer Dolly Parton. She wanted to help children in her home county of Sevier County, Tennessee. Her goal was to encourage them to do well in school.
At first, the Foundation worked to help more students finish high school. In the early 1990s, Dolly Parton promised students in 7th and 8th grade $500 if they graduated. This special plan was called the Buddy Program. It helped reduce the number of students who dropped out from 35% to just 6%. This program also inspired the community to offer more help to students.
In 1995, the Foundation started Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. This program gives free books every month to children under five years old. It began in Sevier County to help young children love books and reading. What started as a local idea has now grown into a worldwide effort. The Imagination Library is still the most well-known program of the Foundation.
Contents
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is a program that sends free books to kids. It mails high-quality, age-appropriate books to children from birth until they turn five. Families receive these books no matter how much money they make.
How the Program Grew
The program began in 1995, sending books only to children in Sevier County, Tennessee. This is where Dolly Parton grew up. It became very popular, so in 2000, they started to spread it across the country. By 2003, the Imagination Library had mailed one million books. This was just the beginning of many millions of books sent to children worldwide.
In 2004, Dolly's home state of Tennessee decided to offer the program across the whole state. Soon after, the program started to expand globally. It launched in Canada in 2006 and the United Kingdom in 2007. Australia joined in 2013, and the Republic of Ireland in 2019.
How It Works
The Imagination Library works with Local Program Partners. These partners help bring the program to cities and towns around the world. Partners can be businesses, school districts, or even individuals. They all share the goal of the Imagination Library.
Local Program Partners are in charge of signing up children in their area. They also promote the program online and at local events. The Imagination Library helps get books at a good price. However, the Local Partners are responsible for raising money to pay for the books and shipping. Because of their efforts, the books are 100% free for the children who receive them.
Impact and Achievements
As of 2024, about 1 in 7 children in the U.S. were getting books from the Imagination Library. The program now sends around 3 million books to children worldwide every month.
In 2018, Dolly Parton celebrated a huge milestone. The program had delivered its 100 millionth book. The Library of Congress held an event to mark this special occasion. Dolly Parton even read stories to children there.
In 2021, the Library of Congress gave the Imagination Library a big award. It was the $150,000 David M. Rubenstein Prize. This award recognized their work in delivering over 160 million books to children. Dolly Parton and her book-gifting organization have received many honors for helping children everywhere.
The program has also received other important awards. These include the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval and a Best Practices award from the Library of Congress Literacy Awards. It has also been recognized in Reading Psychology. These awards show how important and successful the program is.
The Imagination Library keeps growing and setting new goals. This matches Dolly Parton's belief in always dreaming big.
My People Fund
In November 2016, large fires spread through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. These were called the 2016 Great Smoky Mountains wildfires. The fires sadly killed more than a dozen people. They also destroyed over a thousand homes in Sevier County, where the Dollywood Foundation is located.
Dolly Parton asked the Foundation to help families who lost their homes. The plan was to give them $1,000 each month for six months. Within two weeks, the Dollywood Foundation and Dolly's companies created the ‘My People Fund’. These companies included Dolly Parton's Stampede, Dolly Parton’s Lumberjack Adventure, Pirates Voyage, and The Dollywood Company.
Families who lost their main home could collect money from the fund for up to six months. Many groups donated to the fund. These included Verizon, Tanger Outlets, Miley Cyrus’ Happy Hippie Foundation, CoreCivic, and The Blalock Company.
By May 2017, the Foundation had finished giving out the money. Over $12 million was raised and given to families who lost their homes. Extra money raised also provided one-time scholarships. These scholarships went to high school seniors whose homes were destroyed by the fires.
Scholarships and Awards
Dolly Parton graduated from Sevier County High School in 1964. She started The Dollywood Foundation in 1988 to help local high school students with scholarships. The Foundation offers five scholarships each year to high school seniors in the county. These scholarships help students continue their education at any approved university.
Dolly Parton Scholarship
The Dolly Parton Scholarship is a $15,000 award given annually at each high school. It is for students who have a dream they want to follow. Students must also show how they plan to achieve their dreams.
Imagination Library Scholarship
When the Imagination Library reached 100 million books delivered, Dolly Parton announced a new scholarship. This scholarship would go to a child who participated in the library program. In November 2016, Parton gave a $30,000 scholarship to a two-year-old girl. She was one of the newest children in the library program.
The girl was announced as the winner during Dolly's Pure & Simple Tour stop in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The money was put into an account. It will stay there until the girl enrolls in college. After 16 years, the scholarship will be worth almost $50,000.
Chasing Rainbows Award
The National Network of State Teachers of the Year (NNSTOY) created the Chasing Rainbows Award. It is named after Dolly Parton. Dolly first received this award in 2002. Now, it is given every year to a deserving teacher who has overcome challenges. The Imagination Library has since partnered with the NNSTOY.
Results and Impact
By 2006, the Dollywood Foundation’s Imagination Library had grown a lot. It was in 471 communities across 41 states. The organization received a top rating of 4 out of 4 stars from Charity Navigator. Later, the Foundation expanded to the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Australia, and Canada.
The program helps about 1 million children every month. It divides books into six groups based on a child's birth month. This helps make sure children get books that are just right for their age.
The Buddy Program's Success
On April 30, 1988, Dolly Parton launched the "Buddy Program" at Dollywood. This program was for 7th and 8th grade students in Sevier County. Each student picked a friend, and they both signed a contract. They promised to help each other stay in school and graduate from high school. If they graduated, each student would receive $500.
In the spring of 1992, the first group of graduating buddies received their $500. The former Tennessee Governor and U.S. Secretary of Education, Lamar Alexander, was there. In spring 1993, the second group of graduating buddies also received their $500. Then-Tennessee Governor Ned McWherter attended this event. The Buddy Program helped lower the dropout rate to just 6%. It also encouraged the community to create more ways to keep kids in school.
The Foundation also gives out other awards. These awards are for achievements in music, academics, and protecting the environment.
