Laundromat owners Taylor and Jessica Witt recently held an open house at their Nokomis Laundry in Alexandria, Minn., to help launch the grand opening of the store’s new LaundryCares’ Family Read, Play & Learn Center.
The dedicated kids’ reading and learning space features a couch, a table and chairs, a rug, a bookcase filled with quality children’s titles, and more. This literacy-rich “laundromat toolkit” was awarded to the Witts by Connie Fields, who serves as the early childhood initiative coordinator for Douglas County, in which the laundromat is located.
Last September, Fields attended the 4th annual Learning in Everyday Spaces Summit, hosted by the Coin Laundry Association’s LaundryCares Foundation and the Clinton Foundation’s early childhood initiative Too Small to Fail. The focus of the event was childhood literacy, learning and development – and the role everyday spaces play in creating meaningful experiences for children and their families.
“Children spend many hours out of the school setting – going to the laundromat, the grocery store, the playground, etc.,” Fields said. “These spaces represent a critical opportunity to meet families where they are and support their young children’s development.”
During the summit, Fields won a Read, Play & Learn toolkit to be used at a local laundromat. After visiting several stores located within Douglas County, she determined Nokomis Laundry had the best space for the literacy and learning center.
“I reached out to Taylor and Jessica about this project, and they were very willing to move forward with it,” Fields noted.
The children’s reading space was installed last December.
