When Denison University sophomore Emily Monachino was exploring the university’s microinternship program opportunities, MagLiteracy’s open positions caught her eye.
“I have always loved reading, and it was incredibly important for me growing up, so their mission statement and goals really resonated with me,” she said. “I had never done outreach before, but I love talking to people, and it seemed like a great way to support a cause I’m really passionate about.”
Thanks to the help of Monachino and two other Denison University students, junior Maddie Gaines and sophomore Mari Meeks, MagLiteracy this summer accomplished the single largest distribution initiative in the organization’s history.
“The interns’ research and outreach helped make large-scale distribution into underserved rural communities possible — advancing one of MagLiteracy’s long-standing goals of extending literacy resources beyond major metropolitan areas into some of the areas with the highest-need readers, programs and communities in the United States,” said MagLiteracy Executive Director John Mennell.
Reaching Appalachia America
Monachino conducted research about organizations that did outreach and support for the Appalachian region of Ohio and made connections with the Christian Appalachian Project.
“They were one of the first organizations I reached out to and one of the first organizations I heard back from,” said Monachino, who also facilitated a connection to Freestore Foodbank in Cincinnati, a new partner for MagLiteracy. “In my initial conversation with Christian Appalachian Project, we talked about sending only about nine pallets of magazines, which is still a large amount, but with further organization from John and the rest of the team, they were able to organize three truckloads to be sent, which was incredible!”
That connection alone resulted in the distribution of 60 pallets of magazines to 13 Appalachian states, as the Christian Appalachian Project delivered the magazines to thousands of individuals through its network of over 1,500 community partners including schools, after-school programs, family resource centers, churches, libraries and nonprofit organizations.
“Many of these partners already promote learning and literacy, and they were excited to receive additional resources to share with the children and families they support,” said Brian Conley, gift-in-kind acquisition officer at Christian Appalachian Project. “The response was overwhelmingly positive, and we are confident they made a meaningful impact in the communities served.”
The magazines have been a tremendous resource for the children, families and communities we serve throughout Appalachia. — Brian Conley, gift-in-kind acquisition officer, Christian Appalachian Project
“Access to quality reading materials is not always readily available in many of the areas we reach, so these magazines provide both educational value and simple enjoyment,” Conley added. “They strengthen literacy skills and give families another opportunity to spend meaningful time reading together.”
He said Monachino made an excellent impression.
“She was friendly, professional and clearly passionate about helping connect organizations that share a desire to serve others. Her initiative played an important role in bringing MagLiteracy and Christian Appalachian Project together, and we’re grateful for her efforts,” Conley said. “We are truly thankful for MagLiteracy’s generosity and commitment to promoting literacy, and we hope this partnership continues to grow in the future.”
Dedicated Interns Build Lasting Partnerships
During the summer distribution project, another 20 pallets were distributed by MagLiteracy’s logistics partner Millcraft to literacy and community partners in areas including Lexington, Kentucky; Cincinnati, Dayton, Toledo, Cleveland and southern Ohio; Fort Wayne, Indiana; and Madison, Wisconsin.
“These distributions will place high-quality reading materials into the hands and homes of more than 1.4 million readers, based on our estimate that each magazine is read by two to three people,” Mennell said. “The students’ work also established valuable new partnerships with regional literacy organizations and community distribution networks across Middle America, laying the foundation for ongoing collaboration and future large-scale literacy initiatives for years to come.”
The three students worked with MagLiteracy through Denison University’s micro-internships — short-term, paid professional projects designed to help rising sophomores and juniors build skills, explore careers and grow their networks. The university continues to provide interns to help MagLiteracy with grant fundraising and developing the children’s magazine publisher industry-wide network.
“MagLiteracy was a particularly compelling partner because of the meaningful mission behind its work: using the unique power of magazines to increase access to reading materials and improve the lives of children and families who have limited access to literacy resources,” said Jodi Pavol, director for industry partnerships at Denison University. “It gave students the chance to apply their skills to a real organization with a clear social impact. We were also excited that MagLiteracy is local to Denison and that students would be able to contribute to an organization in our community.”
Because MagLiteracy is a growing organization with a national reach, students can see firsthand how a nonprofit builds awareness, communicates its mission, engages partners and expands its impact. — Jodi Pavol, director for industry partnerships, Denison University
“It’s also an opportunity for students to explore how their liberal arts skills like communication, creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving can be used in a professional setting to address a meaningful challenge,” Pavol added.
Gaining Valuable Professional Skills
Like Monachino, Gaines and Meeks selected MagLiteracy for their internships because of their passions for childhood literacy and reading.
“One of the biggest wins I had working with MagLiteracy was reconnecting the organization with Colleen Watt at Cleveland Kids’ Book Bank,” Gaines said. “I found this experience especially rewarding because not only was it a networking mission, but I was able to create a meaningful partnership and help those children receive reading materials. Throughout this experience, I realized that even a small action, such as an introduction, can create a larger impact.”
Cleveland Kids’ Book Bank, which fosters literacy and a love of reading by distributing free books to children in collaboration with community partners including the Cleveland Metro School District as well as other schools, daycare centers, doctor’s offices, rec centers, churches, food pantries, libraries and many other social service organizations.
“These magazines will go home with children and families throughout our region for them to keep and enjoy in their home libraries,” Watt said Colleen Watt, operations director Cleveland Kids’ Book Bank. “Having reading material in the home is one of the best indicators of future academic success.”
Gaines said that during the internship, she gained a better understanding of what goes into building relationships and maintaining partnerships in an organization.
“I also became more comfortable with professional communication, outreach and researching organizations,” Gaines said. “Lastly, I learned that taking initiative is crucial to success. Throughout the internship, I learned that the best opportunities came from noticing a potential connection and acting on it, no matter whether the chance was probable or not.”
“I gained amazing insight on how to be an effective communicator!” Meeks said. “In the beginning I was nervous to reach out to so many organizations, but I’m so grateful I did (because of John’s encouragement).”
Meeks appreciated the opportunity to spread awareness of MagLiteracy and its mission.
“Most of the organizations I came into contact with hadn’t heard of the organization before I reached out to them,” Meeks said. “These organizations resonated with the MagLiteracy mission and were able to gain valuable connections to reach a similar goal. My part was mostly communication and informing John and these organizations of one another. Through sharing my own love for literature and engagement with it, I was able to further support the shared importance of literature in everyday life.”