Reach Out and Read Minnesota

05/28/2026

Reach Out and Read Minnesota is thrilled to lift up Dr. Seth Gregory of Mayo Clinic Health System in Red Wing as our 2026 Gilchrist Award Winner!

Dr. Gregory is a phenomenal champion for the healthy development of his youngest patients. He makes sure to start each of his check-ups by sharing a brand-new book with his patient — and he helps all of his fellow doctors at his clinic do the same!

After learning about Reach Out and Read during residency, Dr. Gregory led the charge to get the program up and running at his new clinic. Once they saw the results, his colleagues were all in!

"Dr. Gregory’s commitment to patient-centered care fosters an environment in which children feel valued and supported, and they respond with attentiveness and confidence in his guidance,” says Southern Minnesota Program Specialist, Danette Kubit.

05/26/2026

Nothing gets us more excited than seeing a kid get excited by a book!

Young children often ask for the same book again and again — and that's okay! Hearing the same book many times over helps children get a better sense of what each word means and helps them identify patterns and rhythms in the language. The familiarity can also be calming and comforting!

05/22/2026

Please join us in congratulating Representative Dave Pinto, winner of our 2026 Loeffler Award! Rep. Pinto is a tireless advocate for the Reach Out and Read program and more broadly for young children and their families in Minnesota.

He has worked to secure funding for our early learning program at clinics all across the state during multiple rounds of funding and he is constantly working to educate his colleagues on the importance of investing in early childhood.

When our youngest children do better, our society will do better!

05/08/2026

What a joy it was to gather with so many of you for our Spring Benefit Breakfast on Tuesday! We are so fortunate have a community filled with caring and capable champions for early childhood learning and health.

We left feeling truly inspired by our speakers and guests who advocate tirelessly for Minnesota's young children and their families. In spite of the challenges we face, with a community like this we are feeling confident we can build a better future for our state's kids.

Thanks to generosity of our donors and sponsors we raised over $50,000 in support of our program at clinics across Minnesota!

You can watch the recording of the event here: https://youtu.be/m1caGN4i7SY?si=zAoFz07bzch7xxL9

04/29/2026

Friends. we have some phenomenal speakers lined up for our Spring Benefit Breakfast happening on May 5th.

The work that these three clinicians have done in support of the diverse communities they serve is inspiring — we think you'll want to hear all about it.

Dr. Kellie Stecher is an OBGYN who also happens to hold a Masters of Science in Law. When the community she serves was in crisis this winter, she organized to help make sure every family was getting the support they needed

Sheyanga Beecher is a nurse practitioner who leads Hennepin Healthcare's mobile health unit which provides maternal and pediatric care to underinsured/uninsured communities across the Twin Cities.

Dr. Krishnan Subrahmanian is a pediatrician at Hennepin Healthcare and the Redleaf Center for Family Healing. He also serves as Chief Medical Officer at Hennepin Health, Hennepin County's Medicaid Program. He will be sharing about how a trauma-informed approach to care will be critical in helping Minnesota families heal and build resilience.

You won't want to miss this! There is still time to register and join us in person or virtually; just use this link: https://reachoutandreadmn.org/news/events/spring-benefit-breakfast-2026.html

04/22/2026

You won't want to miss our benefit breakfast on May 5th! Join us alongside leaders in healthcare, early learning, and public policy as we rally support for Minnesota's youngest learners and their families.

We'll be talking all about how simple acts, like shared reading, have a huge role to play in helping families heal from stress and trauma, and build kids' brains for a happier, healthier future.

Register here: https://reachoutandreadmn.org/news/events/spring-benefit-breakfast-2026.html

We can't wait to see you there!

A huge thanks to our sponsors who make this event and our program possible at over 300 clinics across Minnesota.

Our Leadership Partner: All About Books

Our Literacy Partners: Children's Minnesota, Books, -Flanagan-LLP, Delta Dental of Minnesota, Fairview Health Services, HealthPartners

04/17/2026

Nothing warms our hearts more than connecting with our community. Our team has been delighted to see the smiles on the faces of kids and parents as we share books and our message: books build brains and bonds!

Check out these "behind the scenes" shots as our team delivers books through our Books for Neighbors initiative, including at the wonderful Txuj Ci Hmong Language Lower Campus school, and our booth at the Tiny Tots Health & Wellness Fair with the Bemidji Early Childhood Collaborative.

04/11/2026

Our littlest babies can benefit in a BIG way through shared reading!

Clinicians and clinic staff all over Minnesota often tell us about the joy of getting to share a books with babies during their well-child visits.

Well before a child can grasp written letters, they can learn from hearing words, seeing pictures, touching and turning the pages, and "serve and return" interactions with their caregiver. Plus, the snuggles and bonding that happen while reading help the child feel loved and secured!

04/01/2026

Books build bonds! The simple act of sharing a book together is a powerful tool to help young children — and their parents —manage stress, heal, and keep on developing healthily.

That's why we worked hard to get out nearly 10,000 books, including books in Spanish, Hmong, Somali, and Karen, along with early learning resources directly to the homes of families these past couple months. It's been a hard winter, especially for many of immigrant communities, and we believe these books can play an important role in helping families come together and heal!

We were delighted to chat with Susan Elizabeth Littlefield from WCCO & CBS News Minnesota about our Books for Neighbors initiative and how simple acts like reading together can help us pave a way forward.

Thanks to all who made this work possible, including our amazing network of volunteers, our community partners who have been bringing these books to families' doors, Ellen, who graciously shared about her and her son's Reach Out and Read experience for our incredible team at the national Reach Out and Read center, and our donors, including our partners at All About Books Scholastic and Barefoot Books .

Even though the surge of federal immigration agents in Minneapolis is over, the memories remain. And some adults are especially worried about children in imm...

03/31/2026

We love this initiative from Planting People Growing Justice Leadership Institute. There are so many important stories to be told from Minnesota voices. Submissions are due by April 15th!

PPGJLI Children’s Book Awards invite Black authors and illustrators to submit picture books that reflect culture, identity and community.