Governor's Early Literacy Foundation

08/21/2026

There's a whole story waiting just down the path at Roaring River Park! 🌳📖

Storybook Trails turn an everyday walk into shared reading time for families across Tennessee, and there are trails all across the state to visit and read at!

Find a trail near you: https://bookerstreehouse.org/community

08/06/2026

Have you ever wondered what an afternoon stroll at a Storybook Trail is like?

Storybook Trails combine reading and movement, turning a walk into a shared story for families across Tennessee. We love this one at Cordell Hull Lake!

Find a trail near you: https://bookerstreehouse.org/community

07/27/2026

Meet Abigail Sanderson, GELF's Director of Development!

Abbie started as our first-ever fundraiser, a one-woman show. Today she leads our Development team, helping build the community of donors and partners who make it possible to put books into the hands of 500,000 Tennessee children every year.

StyleBlueprint sat down with her to talk career pivots (harp performance to nonprofit work), the challenges of development work, and why she still calls picture books "art, inspiration, laughter, and joy."

Read the full article here:

Abbie Sanderson is helping rewrite the story for 500,000 Tennessee kids through the Governor's Early Literacy Foundation. Meet the woman working to make reading a part of every child’s story.

07/20/2026

07/20/2026

07/15/2026

We kicked off Day 2 of the SELECT Statewide Convening with a networking session and time to work with the Shared Language Glossary, a tool designed to foster a common understanding of early literacy terms and support stronger alignment across the state.

Check out our new Shared Language Glossary here: https://heyzine.com/flip-book/0aa52374ce.html

07/15/2026

Day 1 of this year's SELECT Statewide Convening was one for the books!

Attendees connected during networking opportunities, dug into breakout session learning, and closed out the day with an inspiring keynote from Jamar Nicholas.

We can't wait for another day of connection, collaboration, and alignment today!

07/14/2026

Thank you to Nancy Dishner, Brent Easley, Christy Wall, Senator Ferrell Haile, Senator Dawn White, and Representative Scott Cepicky for joining us for a panel on effective literacy advocacy. We’re grateful for your time and the insight shared with our SELECT Statewide Convening attendees today.