Dolly Parton’s $4.5 Million Gift to Nashville Public Library Sets Stage for Nation’s First Begin Bright Literacy Program

In a remarkable move to transform early childhood education, Dolly Parton’s Dollywood Foundation has committed a generous $4.5 million investment to the Nashville Public Library. This funding will launch Begin Bright, an innovative early literacy initiative designed to ensure that every child in Nashville starts kindergarten with the skills they need to succeed in reading.

The Begin Bright program is set to make a lasting impact, delivering Little Libraries filled with books from Dolly Parton’s beloved Imagination Library, along with additional resources from the Nashville Public Library. The initiative is the first of its kind in the nation, positioning Nashville as a trailblazer in early literacy efforts.

“We are honored to partner with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in this pioneering endeavor,” said Terri Luke, interim director of the Nashville Public Library. “Our commitment to setting Nashville’s young children on a path to reading success is strengthened by Dolly’s passion for bringing books to children and uniting communities. This collaboration will undoubtedly have a profound effect on the city’s families, children, and future generations.”

The Begin Bright program will build upon the Nashville Public Library’s existing technological infrastructure and enhance it with new innovations. These include a state-of-the-art app that will provide on-demand digital literacy training for both parents and teachers, ensuring that families have the tools they need to support their children’s early reading development. The program will also be studied by Vanderbilt University’s Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, which will evaluate the outcomes and develop a replicable model that could be adopted across the nation.

Dolly Parton expressed her excitement for the project, saying, “I truly believe this partnership will have a tremendous impact on inspiring a love of reading for children and families. And the best part is, Nashville is once again lighting the way for the rest of the nation.”

The Nashville Public Library Foundation, which has been at the forefront of supporting literacy programs in the city, is aiming to raise an additional $20 million to fund Begin Bright’s implementation and create an endowment to sustain the program long-term. The program is scheduled to launch in the spring of 2025, with hopes that its success in Nashville will serve as a model for other cities across the country.

This gift from Dolly Parton and the Dollywood Foundation is more than just a financial investment—it’s a pledge to the future of Nashville’s children, offering them the best possible start in their educational journey. With Begin Bright, the city is taking bold steps to ensure that all children have the foundation they need to succeed, and Dolly’s ongoing legacy of literacy will continue to inspire generations to come.