Thomaston-Upson Literacy Alliance

05/10/2026

This month at StoryTime+ with The Book Bug we’re focusing on The Basics principle, “Maximize Love, Manage Stress” and reading “The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh” by Supriya Kelker, illustrated by Alea Marley.

You can learn more about “Maximize Love, Manage Stress” here: https://thebasics.org/brain-boosts/maximize-love-manage-stress/ or join us for StoryTime+ www.facebook.com/thebookbug.lfl/events

Can’t make it to StoryTime? Watch author Supriya Kelker read our featured book: https://gpb.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/ll58-the-many-colors-of-harpreet-singh-video/lets-learn/

04/26/2026

04/26/2026

Our Community Partners Board is filling up!
Let us know if your business or organization would like to partner with Thomaston-Upson Literacy Alliance to support literacy programs in Upson County.

04/22/2026

We are excited to announce that we have received a Community Coalition Grant from the Sandra Dunagan Deal Center for Early Language and Literacy for a second year! These funds will help us strengthen and sustain our programs for local families with young children.

Join TULA (Thomaston-Upson Literacy Alliance) to help improve literacy in Upson County!

The decisions are in, and the Deal Center has chosen 11 community coalitions to award our Community Coalition Grant! Each grantee has put forth a project intended to improve literacy outcomes and identified who will help them do it in a thorough plan of action—because it takes all of us to create meaningful change.

The following groups have demonstrated a determination to transform literacy practices in their communities by bringing together cross-sector collaborators.

Tier 1 grantees ($10,000 award): WACO Reads (Washington County), Lanier Commission for Children Youth and Families Inc., Building Brains from the Beginning, Inc. (Fayette County), and Family Connection/Communities In Schools of Berrien County, Inc.

Tier 2 grantees ($14,000 award): Whitfield County Schools, For the Love of Reading, Inc. DBA Thomaston-Upson Literacy Alliance, Madison County School District, Tri-County Family Connection (Montgomery, Treutlen, and Wheeler Counties), Brightpaths (Clarke, Oconee, Barrow, Jackson, Madison, Oglethorpe, and others), and Los Niños Primero (Fulton, Clayton, Cobb, Dekalb, and Gwinnett).

Tier 3 grantee ($24,000 award): Sumter County Schools.

Is a project starting up, or sustaining impact, in your county? Keep an eye out for additional details about these projects and their impact as they work to implement each project. Congratulations to the grantees!

📸Photo credit: current and former grantee Dr. Rebecca Harper, Augusta University.

04/21/2026

Livestream link: https://www.augusta.edu/stream/

Join us for the Georgia Council on Literacy meeting on April 21, 2026 from 10 AM to 3 PM at the Hub for Community Innovation in Augusta, Georgia.

This convening brings together leaders and partners from across the state to advance our shared commitment to literacy and student success. If you are unable to attend in person, you are invited to tune in and stay engaged by watching the meeting live on Augusta University’s public livestream.

Together, we are turning the page to a brighter future in Georgia.

04/12/2026

We are excited to invite you to attend the 2026 Georgia Reads Community Award Celebration on April 23rd in Upson County.

Hosted by the Georgia Council on Literacy, the Georgia Reads Community Award recognizes the importance of community-driven approaches and meaningful partnerships in achieving literacy goals. Unlike a traditional grant, this award celebrates literacy improvements made over the past two to five years. In 2026, ten communities across Georgia were selected to receive this honor, along with a $20,000 award.

In Upson County, the award highlights the literacy programs of The Book Bug, a youth-led literacy initiative dedicated to sharing books and spreading a love of reading, and the strong community support behind them. The award was received on behalf of the community by For the Love of Reading, Inc., now operating locally as the Thomaston-Upson Literacy Alliance, reflecting our shared commitment to community collaboration in literacy efforts.

We are especially honored to welcome two inspiring special guests: Malcolm Mitchell, Georgia Reads Coach, former University of Georgia wide receiver, and Super Bowl Champion with the New England Patriots, and Lizzy Norton, the fifteen-year-old owner of The Book Bug.

This celebration is being brought to Upson County by the Georgia Council on Literacy and Georgia Reads. It is an opportunity to recognize the progress our community has made, highlight the partnerships that made it possible, and look ahead to the continued growth of literacy efforts in Upson County.

RSVP link: https://forms.gle/PShYZJEUqJj6Gtwq7

Guests are invited to bring a 3”x3” logo to place on the Thomaston-Upson Literacy Alliance board as a gesture of support for our literacy programs.

04/02/2026

Choosing great books for babies and toddlers

03/29/2026

Come see us today at Thomaston First Methodist Church Community Baby Shower. There are clothes, diapers, baby food and more!
Stop by to learn more about The Basics.

01/17/2026

Count, Group, and Compare
Help your child make sense of the numbers and categories all around them.

This is "The Basics- 3 CGC_TheBASICS_TM.mp4" by The Basics on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.