of Pinal County United Way The Board unanimously approved the introduction of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library as a new United Way program at the February 18 General Assembly. The new initiative is part of a long-term strategy to improve high school graduation rates in Pinal County, according to a press release.of Dolly Parton Imagination Library is a first-year book gifting program that mails a new, age-appropriate book each month to registered children from birth to age five. This creates a home his library with up to 60 books and fosters a love of books and reading from an early age. Year. “This program is one of the most important ways I know to improve educational opportunities for children in the area,” Parton said on the program’s website. The initiative she first started in her home county in eastern Tennessee in 1995, and by 2000 the program had grown significantly and the initiative had spread across the country. The program has enrolled her 872,476 children nationwide from her 0 to her 5 years old. “We can spend the first eight years of our lives learning to read, and the rest of our lives reading to learn,” said Manuela Bowler, Pinal County United Way Executive Director. “The Dolly Parton Imagination Library is a proactive community effort to prepare children for kindergarten readiness, pass grade 3 reading tests, successfully graduate high school and prepare for secondary education. Good reading skills are a must to compete in the world of Pinal County, and United Way of Pinal County staff will begin work to develop an implementation plan and secure funding for this new initiative.” United Way of Pinal County is a non-profit organization that connects people and communities to advance the common good through services that improve lives. The organization partners with local nonprofits, businesses, governments and social services agencies to address the region’s most pressing needs.