It started with one woman’s belief that helping kids learn to read would make a difference. To that end Lullalee has strategically partnered with authors, educators and entertainers to develop programs that help underserved children facing learning challenges. Since 2004, our non-profit 501©(3) has provided Car-Ni-Fairs, Storytelling Projects and Book Grants to over 14,500 children and their families in California, Louisiana and Africa.

Guided by the mantra “Find Your Special Gift Through Art, Music & Literacy” Lullalee develops services recognizing that children learn in different ways and that exposure to the arts helps explore and exploit those differences. Demand has defined the need for our highly successful programs and Lullalee continues to develop exciting new approaches, inspiring children to embrace literacy.

Car-Ni-Fair, a magical day highlighting the importance of literacy, celebrated its fourth year of entertaining, educating and promoting smiles to over 5000 patients of Shriners Hospital for Children in Los Angeles, the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation as well as kids from neighboring inner city schools. Authors, magicians, clowns and puppeteers provide fun-filled entertainment while the aroma of cotton candy and popping corn seep into a carnival setting.

The Skyline College Weekly Storytelling project aims to assist early readers and inspire long-term education goals. Alongside providing inspiration and books to children, this program helps train early childhood education students who in turn help improve the program in an academic setting.

Besides expanding our local impact we seek to extend our reach beyond the Bay Area through documentation, making it easy for other colleges and early childhood development programs to incorporate our best practices. This strategy also supports our goal to develop tele-education, distance learning and edutainment programs that bring 21st century learning tools to disadvantaged children.