The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands has provided its annual commitment to support the Dolly Parton Imagination Library Program at The Virgin Islands Children’s Museum, enabling Virgin Islands children to receive FREE age-appropriate books each month from birth until their 5th birthday.
The Dolly Parton Imagination Library Program, a renowned early childhood book-gifting initiative, aims to foster a love of reading and learning in young children. Since its inception in 1995, the program has distributed over 2 million books monthly to enrolled children worldwide, with positive impacts on early childhood literacy metrics.
“All USVI full-time resident children under the age of 5 are eligible to register for the program, and registration is free,” said Zenaida Rogers, the Education and Outreach Coordinator at the Virgin Islands Children’s Museum. “We are grateful for the generous support from CFVI, which allows us to continue providing children with the gift of literacy through the Dolly Parton Imagination Library Program.”
In 2018, the Virgin Islands Children’s Museum became the local affiliate of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library Program, with the program gifting a total of 137,111 books to children throughout the territory as of January 2026. The recent grant award of $37,100 from The Family Connection Fund at CFVI will further support the expansion of the program, covering current enrollment and projected growth in 2026. The grant funds will be utilized to cover the costs of providing free books to children, as well as support administrative and marketing expenses to reach more families in the USVI. The program itself does come at a cost, which the Virgin Islands Children’s Museum covers.
“At the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands, we believe every child deserves the opportunity to fall in love with reading from the very beginning,” said Dee Baecher-Brown, President of CFVI. “CFVI is proud to support The Dolly Parton Imagination Library program at the Virgin Islands Children’s Museum as a powerful investment in our youngest learners and in the future of our territory. By putting free, high-quality books directly into the hands of children and families, we are strengthening early literacy, supporting parents and caregivers, and helping ensure that every child in the Virgin Islands has the foundation to dream big and succeed.”
Individuals, businesses, and philanthropic foundations are encouraged to partner with the Virgin Islands Children’s Museum to help expand the program and reach more children across all islands in the USVI territory. A donation of $184.20 to the Virgin Islands Children’s Museum can sponsor one child for five years. Larger donations can support a multilingual marketing campaign to reach underserved communities and promote early childhood literacy initiatives.
“Empower the young ones in your family by enrolling them today and opening the door to a world of reading! Reading together not only strengthens literacy and comprehension but also nurtures a special bond filled with imagination and wonder,” said Amber McCammon, Chief Executive Officer of the Virgin Islands Children’s Museum.
For more information on the Dolly Parton Imagination Library Program in the USVI, visit CFVI’s website at https://cfvi.net/Dolly-Parton-Imagination-Library or the local DPIL affiliate website at https://www.vichildrensmuseum.org/imaginationlibrary.
