Born out of a partnership with the NYC Department of Youth & Community Development (DYCD), the Raising Readers initiative aims to empower adults who work with and raise children to expand their own love of books and reading, in order to better model the habit of reading for pleasure with the young people in their lives. This innovative program provides paid professional development training for out-of-school time provider staff who work with young people through after-school and summer programs, and pairs staff with NBF teaching artists to collaboratively run book clubs for parents at sites across New York City, complete with book giveaways, high-profile author talks, and book shopping opportunities for participants.

Past participants in Raising Readers have included:

• Aspira of New York, Inc. at JHS 131 Albert Einstein
• Chinese American Planning Council at PS 153
• Chinese American Planning Council at CPC Chung Pak
• Community Mediation Services at PS 8 Robert Fulton
• El Puente de Williamsburg at Taylor Wythe
• Good Shepherds Services at MS 206
• Graham-Windham Harlem Beacon
• HANAC at PS 2
• HANAC at PS 212
• SCAN at Coalition School for Social Change
• Sports and Arts In Schools Foundation at CS 134X
• New York Junior Tennis League and JHS 383
• NIA Community Services at PS 179 Kensington
• Oasis Community Corporation at Brownsville Collaborative Middle School
• Phipps Neighborhood, Inc. at Institute of Mathematics
• Police Athletic League, Wynn Center
• Queens Community House Inc. at PS 86Q
• Queens Community House Inc. at MS 358
• Research Foundation of CUNY at Bronx School for Law, Government, and Justice
• Research Foundation of CUNY at PS 181
• University Settlement at East Side Community High School
• Union Settlement at PS 138