For families raising children in rural communities, opportunity often begins with access: access to education, to connection, and to the wider world beyond their community. With the goal of addressing these needs, Henderson County Public Library launched Storytime Around the World, a monthly program designed to introduce children to cultures beyond their own.
The idea for the program sparked during an Illinois Library Association Conference, where library director, Yesenia Lambert, attended and listened to a session on multicultural programming, and wondered how she could adapt those ideas for a rural community like theirs.
Thanks to a $2,500 grant from the Galesburg Community Foundation Henderson County Impact Grants, the library was able to bring her idea to life. The funding allowed the library to purchase a collection of cultural children’s books, laying the foundation for a yearlong program that now welcomes dozens of children each month.
“Without the grant funding, we may have attempted something on a much smaller scale,” shared Lambert. “But this support allowed us to do the program the way that we wanted to.”
Each month, Storytime Around the World focuses on a different county, selected to align with cultural holidays or heritage months. March brought Ireland and St. Patrick’s Day, and April opened the door to Spain, where children made castanets, and learned about Pablo Picasso. The story time is more than just stories; the program reflects thoughtful design. Younger children (aged 0-5) participate in a program with music and movement, while older children (ages 6+) learn facts about the country, enjoy a STEM activity, cultural crafts, and sometimes even sample foods of the region. The impact has been significant. Attendance has grown with more than 60 people attending a recent Storytime! But it’s not just the program that’s making a difference, it’s the space the library is creating.
“Philanthropy opens the door for new ideas,” commented Joshua Gibb, President and CEO of Galesburg Community Foundation. “It gives the communities the tools they need to experiment, expand, and to serve in ways that truly matter, and the library fully embraced that.”
This grant was awarded as a part of the Henderson County Impact Grants, that were awarded to celebrate the addition of Henderson County into the Community Foundations’ service area, and to introduce nonprofits in the county to Galesburg Community Foundation.
“After the program ends, families stay, and children play and explore. It’s become a gathering space, a place for community to form,” added Lambert.
This program is a reflection of how much can be done when local organizations have the resources and support needed to fulfill their ideas.
“What’s powerful about this program is not only that it enriches the lives of kids, but it is giving rural families a reason and place to gather and connect,” Gibb added. “That’s the heart of what local philanthropy can do.”
