Summer 2025

Tutoring Program Kicks Off This Fall

We are pleased to announce a partnership with Solid Rock Youth Transitional Program that will allow us to offer 1:1 tutoring at their facility at 620 N. Walnut. Details about the tutoring program follow so please help us spread the word.

• The program is for students in 3^rd to 8^th grade who live in Springfield and or attend District 186 schools. (Home school students are welcome.) 
  

• Lessons will consist of direct instruction and comprehension strategies to help improve students’ reading ability.
  

• Students will meet with tutors twice a week for an hour.
  

• Parents/guardians will receive resources for home use.
  

• An assessment will be used to identify students’ strengths and weaknesses.
  

• A $50 registration fee is required.
  

• Sessions will be held Mondays through Thursdays from 4 to 6 p.m. 
  

• The program will follow District 186’s calendar. The start date will be announced soon.
  

• For an appointment, parents/guardians should call 217-220-6272.
  

• Space is limited and students will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tutors Needed

Volunteer tutors are needed to work with students in our program. All volunteers will be trained in how to present the one-hour lessons. If you’re interested or would like more information about becoming a tutor, please call Donna Brown at 217-220-6272 or e-mail her at: 2013imagic@gmail.com. Tutors are required to have:

• A good grasp of the English language

• Previous experience working with school-age youth

• A passion for reading and reading-related activities

• A bachelor’s degree (preferred, but not required)

• A background check

• Three professional references

BOARD SPOTLIGHT

Alleen Thornton

iMagicNation has a hard-working Board of Directors that makes all of our programs possible. This issue we are featuring Alleen Thornton who is serving her second-term with us. We appreciate Alleen’s cheerful disposition and willingness to help whenever there’s a need.

Alleen is a native of Springfield and attended Springfield Public Schools. She has always enjoyed reading and has participated in many book clubs.

Because Alleen enjoys working with children and instilling a love of reading in them, iMagicNation is a perfect fit for her.

She is a former reading volunteer at the Springfield Boys and Girls Club. Alleen is also active in her church and the larger Springfield community. She is always willing to lend a helping hand and usually the first to volunteer for our community outreach events.

Alleen is the proud parent of two and a happy grandmother of one. She says she is honored to serve on iMagicNation’s board.

SAVE THE DATE

NOVEMBER 8, 2025

Bring Books Back: A Celebration of Reading

On a mission to Bring Books Back, iMagicNation is hosting a day-long reading celebration featuring:

• Celebrity readers

• A literary character costume contest

• Games and activities

• Local authors and vendors

• Silent auction

• Door prizes

• And much more

This one-of-a-kind event is free to the public and will be held at Erin’s Pavilion from 10 to 4 p.m. Sponsors and donors are needed.

If you’re interested in being a sponsor or donating an item for the silent auction, please contact Tina Montgomery at 312-399-4162.

Thank You St. John Youth

The youth of St. John AME Church hosted a book drive and donated enough books to bless five local little libraries this summer. One of the little libraries that they restocked is on iMagicNation’s property on the NE Corner of 16^th and Spruce. It’s encouraging when young people get involved in making their community better.

We would like to thank Felicia Burton who helped coordinate the book drive and delivery. Two of our other Little Libraries that the youth restocked can be found on:

1.   Martin Luther King Drive in front of Pleasant Grove’s Educational Building (just south of Cook Street).

2.   Adams Street (between 14^th and 15^th) on the north side of Union Baptist Church.

Encourage the young people in your life to take advantage of little libraries throughout the Springfield community. As always, the books are free and you never know what you will find.

Young Adults Read Memoir During Summer
Book Club

A small group of young adults from Solid Rock’s Youth Transitional Program participated in a five-week book club earlier this summer. The youth met three days a week and read Broken Road to Redemption, a memoir by Jamihla Young in which she candidly shares her story of brokenness and God’s transformative power.

For two of the sessions, Young who lives in Punta Gorda, Florida joined the club remotely. Participants were able to ask her questions about the book and her life.

iMagicNation enjoys creating and offering unique opportunities like the summer book club which was facilitated by our founder Donna Brown. Below she reflects on the experience.

“The youth in the book club were not readers. They were reluctant about participating, but the subject matter drew them in. They related to the things Jamihla went through. If nothing else, the book showed them they are not alone in the things they’ve experienced. Young people need to know that.”

In a survey, the majority of the participants said the book club was a positive experience. In addition to reading Young’s text, Brown did a reading exercise with the group, using the information from the Illinois Secretary of State website regarding the Real I.D.

“Reading informational text is different from reading other texts. In this exercise, I printed the info from the Secretary of State website and taught the young people how to extract the important details. I had them underline/highlight critical information,” Brown says. “I joked that those who fail to read the text carefully will be frustrated by having to make multiple trips because they didn’t bring the right documents the first time. This was a real-life example of why knowing how to read is so important.”

We will begin working with Solid Rock participants on GED test preparation this fall and will continue to develop relevant literacy programs to benefit them as they transition to adulthood.

Grants Allow Us To Purchase Wonderbooks
and Playaways

In the past few months, we have received two $2,000 grants. The first is from the Springfield Chapter of Church Women United (CWU) and the second from the Robert L. Jones Community Grant administered by Fresh Visions Community Church (FVCC).

With these monies, we will be purchasing Wonderbooks and Playaway devices for students in our 1:1 tutoring program. Wonderbooks have an audio device embedded in the inside left cover of what otherwise looks like a regular book. As a child reads the book, they can press a button and a narrator will read the text to them. They can turn the feature on and off, go back and forth in the text and control the volume..

Playaways are small devices that when paired with headphones allow students to listen to a book. Students in our tutoring program will be able to check-out Playaways from our lending library. Studies have shown that reading comprehension improves when students listen to and read books simultaneously.

“I love Wonderbooks and Playaways. They enhance the reading experience and increase comprehension so it’s a win-win. I prefer them to e-books. In many cases the authors are also the narrators. Their voices allow students with dyslexia or those who are reluctant readers to experience a book in a different way,” says Founder Donna Brown, who applied for the grants.

iMagicNation seeks out and applies for grants regularly. Organizations like CWU and FVCC are vital to our success as a 501(c)(3). Without their support, we would not be able to create programs like the ones mentioned in this issue of the newsletter.

If you know of funding opportunities, please share them with us.

Thank you CWU and FVCC for your support!

Make a Donation

You can donate to us in one of several ways:

By Zelle: iMagicNation as the payee

Through PayPal

At our website: www.imagicnation.cloud

Make checks payable to iMagicNation and mail to
PO Box 9303, Springfield, Il 62791

As always, thank you for your support!

Copyright ©2025 iMagicNation. All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
PO Box 9303, Springfield, IL 62791