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LITERACY IS A FAMILY EXPERIENCE INC
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 471321251 · Form 990EZ · FY2024 · NTEE W99 · Public & Societal Benefit · Micro (<$100K) · literacyisafamily.org
revenue
$23K
expenses
$23K
net assets
$34K
employees
—
mission · from form 990

LITERACY IS A FAMILY EXPERIENCE PARTNERS WITH FAMILIES, PARENTS, AND EDUCATORS TO ENCOURAGE AND PROMOTE THE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN A CHILD'S EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE WITH THE GOAL OF CREATING HEALTHY LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS TO IMPROVING LITERACY IN HOMES, SCHOOL AND WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

profile · synthesized from sources

Literacy Is a Family Experience (LiFE) partners with families, parents, and educators to promote active participation in children's education, with a focus on improving literacy from birth through third grade. The organization serves families in underserved communities in New York City and rural Jamaica, WI, through parent workshops, home and school library development, and community outreach. It emphasizes early literacy, parental engagement, and removing barriers to education.

named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

1-2-3 Books in the Home Lending Library
Ensures every student has access to books at home through a weekly exchange program, aiming to build home libraries and encourage regular reading.
Family Navigators
Trained community members who organize parents, distribute books, and serve as liaisons between families and educators to increase parental involvement.
Literacy Works - Parent Workshops
Provides workshops for parents and family members on how to read to children, the benefits of early reading, and using letter sounds to form words, with a focus on children from birth to age 9.
Pop Up for Parents
Community outreach events at street fairs and neighborhood gatherings to train parents on the importance of early reading and literacy development.
STAR (Sing- Talk- Activity-Read)
Teaches parents how to use singing, talking, and interactive activities to support early brain development and literacy in newborns, toddlers, and Pre-K children.
activities · 3 groups

What they do

  • Early Literacy Promotion 3 activities
    • Deliver parent-focused literacy workshops and training
      Conducts literacy workshops and "POP UP 4 PARENTS" events for families, including at prenatal and well-baby clinics, street fairs, and community outreaches, teaching Singing, Talking, and Reading (STAR) practices and the benefits of early reading. These workshops have engaged thousands of families since 2014, with documented participation from over 200 families in clinic-based workshops and over 300 at community events in 2024 alone.
    • Implement family literacy model through partnerships with schools and organizations
      Operates a parent-facing literacy model in collaboration with four partner organizations and 24 schools in New York City and rural Jamaica, WI, supporting children's reading development through structured programming and sustained parental involvement.
    • Provide ongoing tutoring and home-based family engagement support
      Offers weekly tutoring for parents and families and supports literacy engagement in the home setting, including through virtual workshops and WhatsApp calls during the pandemic, which maintained engagement with over 30% of parents between 2020–2022.
  • Children's Book Distribution Programs 1 activity
    • Distribute books and establish home and school libraries
      Provides books to families to build home libraries and establishes school-based lending libraries through initiatives like the 123 Books in the Home Lending Library Program. Distributed 2–5 books per family across multiple programs, resulting in 70% of students having access to books at home; completed a total of 24 school libraries between 2014 and 2022.
  • Teacher Professional Development 1 activity
    • Train educators and volunteers in evidence-based literacy practices
      Provides professional development and training to educators, volunteers, and leaders on the science of reading, phonemic awareness, and phonics instruction, enabling them to implement LiFE’s literacy model in schools and communities in NYC and rural Jamaica, WI.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$23K
Contributions & grants$23K97%
Program service revenue——
Investment income——
Other revenue$650
expenses
Total expenses$23K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits—
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$36K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$34K
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +13.3%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

board members · 1
  • PATRICIA I ROWE — EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
relationships · 9

Who they work with

  • 24 schools in rural Jamaica, WI Partner — Implements LiFE's parent-facing literacy model in collaboration with 24 schools in rural Jamaica, WI.
  • BREDS Foundation Partner — Collaborated with Literacy Is a Family Experience on family literacy initiatives in Jamaica.
  • Board of Directors and Advisors Coalition — Committed group providing oversight, talent, resources, and time to support LiFE's mission.
  • EDUCATORS Partner — Partners with educators to promote literacy in schools and communities
  • FAMILIES Partner — Collaborates with families to support children's literacy development
  • Ministry of Education and Youth Information (MOEYI) Region 5 Government — Partnered with Literacy Is a Family Experience to engage schools and families in literacy programming in Jamaica.
  • PARENTS Partner — Works with parents to encourage participation in children's education
  • The Rockaway Cathedral Partner — Collaborated with LiFE to build a community library in Clinton Manor NYCHA.
  • four organizations Partner — Collaborates with four unnamed organizations to deliver its parent-facing, literacy-enhancing model.
strategies · 4

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Community-Partnered Literacy Access
    methodology: community-partnered_literacy_engagement
    By partnering with faith-based and community organizations, we increase access to books and literacy workshops because trusted local institutions reduce barriers to engagement and amplify reach within underserved populations.
  • Early Intervention Through Healthcare Integration
    methodology: healthcare-integrated_literacy
    By embedding literacy programs within maternal and child health clinics, we promote early brain development and lifelong learning because parents are more receptive to developmental messaging during prenatal and infant care visits, and clinical settings provide trusted, accessible touchpoints.
  • Family-Engaged Literacy Model
    methodology: family-engaged_learning
    By involving families, parents, and educators as collaborative partners in literacy activities, we improve children's literacy outcomes because sustained family engagement strengthens both cognitive development and emotional wellness, creating a supportive learning environment at home.
  • Sing-Talk-Activity-Read Framework
    methodology: sing-talk-activity-read
    By teaching caregivers to use the "Sing-Talk-Activity-Read" sequence, we build foundational literacy skills in young children because rhythmic language, verbal interaction, shared activities, and book exposure together stimulate neural pathways critical for language acquisition.