Project Smyles

What Is Project Smyles?

Project Smyles is an outreach program to children in Ames Public Library’s service area. 

Since it launched in 2006, Project Smyles has provided library services to children from birth to age six where they are during the day—in daycares and preschools. 

Each month our Library staff visit in-home daycares, childcare centers, and area preschools to present a variety of storytimes specially designed to help build early literacy skills. 

We also bring a selection of curated materials to the sites for the children’s use. These deposit collections are full of a variety of books, musical instruments, puppets, puzzles and more!

Off-Site Storytime

Project Smyles and Literacy

Children need a variety of skills to become successful readers. These, “early literacy skills” are the building blocks for later learning how to read and write. 

Research has shown that Talking, Singing, Reading, Writing, and Playing with a child every day are simple ways to help them form a strong foundation on which to build when they are ready to enter school.

Our goal with Project Smyles is to build both educational and motivating programs for children to increase their early literacy skills and become better prepared to enter school, while modeling easy and adaptable early literacy methods for the teachers and caregivers in the room. 

To learn more about these skills and how you can support your young child, visit our Early Literacy page.

How can I get involved?

Project Smyles is supported financially through the Ames Public Library Friends Foundation. Donations and sponsorships to support this program are welcome at any time!

We utilize volunteers to help in a variety of ways with the Project Smyles program. If you are interested in learning more, visit our volunteers page.

If you run an in-home daycare or are interested in Project Smyles coming to your site, please reach out to us at smyles@amespubliclibrary.org

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