Leadership Tampa Partners for Book Nook Launch

A group of people pose for a picture. They are holding children's books.
Members of the 2023 Leadership Tampa class pose with Michelle Ciudadreal of the Tampa Bay Chamber, Police Major Eric Defelice of the Tampa Police District 3, and CFC Community Initiatives and Partnerships Manager Kristina Kilpatrick.

Thanks to the 2023 Leadership Tampa class, Champions for Children launched its newest book nook on January 23 at the Tampa Police District 3 headquarters. The book nook is an initiative of the TALK READ SING Tampa Bay program, which is supported by Champions for Children. TALK READ SING supports 25 book nooks located throughout Hillsborough County.  

With 17,000 babies born annually, Hillsborough County is the 7th largest school district in the nation. Fewer than 50% of children born in the county enter kindergarten ready to learn. The disparity presents an urgent need to support early childhood education.  

TALK READ SING Tampa Bay works to address the challenges of school readiness by placing books directly into the hands of young children across Hillsborough County.  

Geared toward children from birth to five years old, book nooks foster literacy while empowering families to become active participants in their child’s early learning journey.  These cozy spaces offer a diverse selection of age-appropriate books, providing access to literacy resources. They are strategically placed in public areas where families frequently gather and encourage parents and caregivers to connect with their children through reading. Families are welcome to take books, as the program frequently replenishes resources for the community.  

Leadership Tampa chose to support the TALK READ SING Book Nook installation as part of its 2023 class project. The class fundraised for the installation, conducted a book drive, and coordinated the location installation.  

Champions for Children is grateful to both Leadership Tampa and the Tampa Police District for their support and dedication to early childhood education.  

To learn more about TALK READ SING Tampa Bay, visit cfctb.org. Interested in directly supporting through a book drive initiative? Contact [email protected].