Our Partners
One of our most important core values is collaboration. Together, we do more, and we do it better! To achieve our mission, Make Way for Books partners with hundreds of schools and preschools across 17 school districts, more than 150 other nonprofits, local businesses, community organizations, and literacy and early childhood initiatives across the state. Thank you to our incredible partners who are helping to make a tremendous impact in our community. See below to learn more about our diverse partnerships!
And learn more about our core values, including collaboration!
Partner Highlight: Rotary Club of Tucson
Rotary Club of Tucson and its Foundation selected Make Way for Books to receive a major portion of the net proceeds, estimated at $50,000, of their Tucson Classic Car Show for the next five years. Funding from Rotary Club of Tucson allows us to travel out into the community to reach the 4 out of 5 children who do not have access to quality preschool or childcare. With their support, we transform locations like social services offices, community food banks, the Tanque Verde Swap Meet, and laundromats into mobile early literacy "schools without walls," where children and parents learn together.
According to Rotary Club of Tucson member, and former Club President, Phil Gutt, "Absent the solid foundation of adult reading and comprehension, it is nearly impossible to meet the challenges of daily life and of raising a family. Children learning to read well by third grade benefits them as well as society - helping those who have yet to reach that level is the goal of the literacy programs Rotary supports.”
Rotary Club of Tucson is a tremendous partner to Make Way for Books and goes above and beyond to support our youngest children. Rotary Club members have collected book donations, provided volunteer support for events such as the Downtown Holiday Parade, and connected children and families with free tickets to events like Disney On Ice. We are beyond grateful for the generous support and partnership of Rotary Club of Tucson!
Systems-building Partners
To achieve our mission, we believe in working together to build and improve the early childhood system. This means working with more than 150 local, regional, and national partners, more than 200 under-resourced preschool and childcare centers, and local elementary schools. Make Way for Books partners with First Things First, The Helios Education Foundation, and the Cradle to Career Initiative to work to improve our educational system. We co-chair the First Focus on Kids Kindergarten Readiness Change Network, working to move the needle on the number of children who are kindergarten ready in Pima County.
Make Way for Books also believes passionately in providing experiences to help shape the next generation of educators and change-makers. To that end, we partner with our local high schools, colleges, and several departments and schools at The University of Arizona to provide internships and learning opportunities for students in our community interested in early childhood literacy.
Read On Arizona and Read On Tucson
Make Way for Books is proud to be a partner of Read On Arizona, a statewide, public/private partnerships of agencies and organizations working to create and coordinate services to improve literacy outcomes for children in Arizona. As a part of Read On Arizona, Make Way for Books has had the opportunity to work with the Lectio Institute at Harvard. In addition, Make Way for Books co-leads Read On Tucson with United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona and Literacy Connects.
Cover to Cover Partners
Rotary Club of Tucson is a major partner and supporter of Cover to Cover, our program that meets families out in the community with early literacy programming. Our partners and sites for programming include the following:
Clinica Amistad
Refugee Focus--CENTER
Tanque Verde Swap Meet
Community Food Bank
WIC Clinics
Apartments and Mobile Home Communities
Flowing Wells Unified School District
Empire Laundry
Tucson Unified School District Family Resource Centers
Quince Douglas Library
Eckstrom-Columbus Library
Valencia Library
Community Outreach Partners
Arizona Early Intervention Program
The Child Language Center at the University of Arizona
Child-Parent Centers, Inc. (Head Start)
First Things First
Good Neighbor Ventures-South Park Community Action Group
Knowledge River-University of Arizona
Literacy Connects Coalition
Pima County Public Library
Read On Arizona
Read On Tucson-United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona
Sunnyside Literacy Council
Tucson Area Reading Council
Tucson Children’s Museum
Tucson Festival of Books
MWFB for Babies & Toddlers Partners
Amphi Parents As Teachers
Casa de los Niños
Child and Family Resources—Healthy Families
Easter Seals Blake Foundation
First Focus on Kids Family Support Alliance
Marana Parents As Teachers
Nogales Family Resource Center
Parent Aid
The Parent Connection
Pima County Public Library
United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona
Parent Literacy Workshop Partners
Pima County Public Library
Child-Parent Centers, Inc. (Head Start)
Tucson Unified School District
Sunnyside Unified School District
The Story Project Partners
For profit childcare centers and preschools throughout southern Arizona as well as preschools affiliated with the following school districts:
Ajo Unified School District
Altar Valley School District
Child & Family Resources
Child Parent Centers
Continental School District
Easter Seals Blake Foundation
First Things First/Quality First
Pima County Public Library
Sahuarita Unified School District
Sunnyside Unified School District
Tucson Unified School District
United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona/READ ON Tucson
United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona-First Focus on Kids
Vail School District
Book M.A.G.I.C. Partners
Amphi Parents As Teachers
Casa de los Niños
Easter Seals Blake Foundation
Marana Parents As Teachers
Nogales Family Resource Center
The Parent Connection
Pascua Yaqui Health Department
Pascua Yaqui Library-Dr. Fernando Escalante Library
Sunnyside Parents As Teachers
Teen Outreach Pregnancy Center
Teenage Parent High School
Blue Book House Project Partners
Theresa Lee Public Health Center (PCHD)
FosterEd Program
Littletown Community Center
Casa de los Niños-Angel Nursery
Casa de Los Niños-Main Office
City of Tucson Housing
Family Center of the Conciliation Court
Desert Senita Community Health Center - Ajo
Arizona Children's Association/Parent Connection
Emerge
Primavera Foundation HIP
Clinica Amistad
Department of Economic Security-Irvington
El Pueblo Center (El Rio Network)
Reachout Women's Center
Department of Child Safety--Wetmore
El Rio Dental Clinic
Amado Food Bank
Sopori
Flowing Wells Family Resource Center
Supercuts – Foothills Mall
Youth on Their Own
La Frontera Child and Family Services
La Frontera Wakefield Afterschool Program
Clinica de Alma WIC
Kool Smiles, 6th Ave.
Casa de los Niños-Presidio Counseling
Devereux - Emma's House Family Visitation Center
Consulado de Mexico (Mexican Consulate)
Department of Economic Security--Alvernon
Pima County Juvenile Court
Pathways (Northwest Office)
Marana WIC at Erickson Elementary
Our Family Alvernon
Our Family Bellevue
Our Family 2nd St.
Kool Smiles, 22nd St.
Pathways (El Dorado Place)
Soaring Heights (DM)
Teen Outreach Pregnancy Services
Department of Child Safety--Broadway
Department of Economic Security - Fort Lowell
Marana WIC at Healthy Beginnings
Marana WIC at Marana Main
Northwest Medical Center Healthy Beginnings
Easter Seals Blake Foundation
Easter Seals Blake Foundation
Project Amor
Easter Seals Blake Foundation-Fort Lowell
Casa de Los Niños-Great Beginnings
Casa de los Ninos - Behavioral Health Office
Easter Seals Blake Foundation-Broadway
Pima County Health Department
Christ Church Clothing Bank