Prime Time Family Reading: Host Prime Time Family Reading

How Prime Time Family Reading Works

Understanding Prime Time

Prime Time serves families with elementary-school-aged children who could benefit from participating in a reading program together with their families. During a series of six weekly sessions held in the evenings at public libraries, schools, museums, and other youth-serving organizations, families experience storytelling and discussion modeled by a skilled scholar-storyteller team. Families learn how to discuss ethical and cultural themes and how to connect big ideas in children’s literature with their own lived experiences. The program empowers families to read and discuss ideas together, improving literacy and critical thinking skills. Check out quotes about Prime Time from Washington State participants.

Bringing Prime Time to My Community

Libraries, museums, and schools and other eligible youth-serving organizations can apply to Humanities Washington for full funding and support. The program can be delivered in an English or a bilingual, Spanish/English, format. Both in-person and online formats are available. Discussion leaders use big ideas in children’s literature to start each group discussion, but each discussion is unique and reflects each community served.

Find out more below at the Apply section or contact us with any questions.

Meeting the Needs of My Community

Prime Time Family can be easily adapted to meet the needs of your community, available in both an in-person format and an online format.

• Flexible Program Format: The online program uses the same reading and discussion techniques used for in-person Prime Time program but is adapted for an online environment. Rural schools, and museums have had great success with the online program format, serving families living far from local libraries.
• Multiple Curricula: Curricula are available in English-only or Spanish/English bilingual formats. Proven program methods are in place to successfully serve multi-lingual communities, bridging both generational and cultural gaps.
• Shared Meals: Culturally appropriate meals, for in-person programs, can be selected by team members to ensure the program will be welcoming to families.
• Serving Whole Families: Prime Time Family includes a preschool component to serve younger siblings.

If you have any concerns or questions about how Prime Time might fit within your community, please contact our Prime Time Team.

Roles

Humanities Washington’s Role

Humanities Washington provides all approved partners with funding for program books, healthy weekly meals, preschool supplies, and team member stipends. Humanities Washington also supplies team member training, form templates, publicity kits, program management materials, detailed timelines, sample budgets, and access to experienced Humanities Washington staff. All partners receive direct support and guidance from a dedicated project manager with helpful advice on moving through the application process, planning, program implementation, program completion and final reporting.

The Prime Time Host’s role

Eligible youth-serving organizations are encouraged to contact Humanities Washington to arrange an information session to learn more about the program. Hosts then apply for funding. If approved, hosts then move through the following steps:

• Partner with other youth-serving organizations
• Identify students who would benefit from participation in the program
• Reserve suitable rooms
• Recruit team members
• Connect with Humanities Washington staff to arrange team member training
• Arrange catering and/or gift cards
• Facilitate delivery of the program — from initializing community partnerships to submitting final reports and budgets

The YOUTH-SERVING ORGANIZATION’s role

• Identifies and recruits 30 or more students and their families in order to serve at least 15 families each week of the in-person program, or 10 to 15 families for an online program.
• Submits a letter of support* explaining need and program support strategies
• Allocates staff time to support the program
• Communicates the benefits of program participation to students and their families

*optional at time of application

Prime Time Team Members

Each Prime Time series is delivered by five team members, each integral to the program in important ways:

• The Program Coordinator oversees the logistics and success of the program. This role is often filled by a librarian or program professional at the host organization who applies to Humanities Washington to fund a Prime Time program.
• The Community Organizer, a school employee, recruits 30 or more families, supports the program coordinator, translates if necessary, and contacts families each week to maintain steady attendance.
• The Humanities Scholar leads discussions using the Socratic Method, modeling techniques families can adopt for at-home reading and lifelong learning.
• The Storyteller reads the stories in a way easily replicable during at-home reading and works with the scholar to model positive reading and discussion techniques.
• The Preschool Assistant delivers the Prime Time Preschool program component for younger siblings (between three- and five-years old).

What Hosts Receive:

• $8,500 per in-person Prime Time series
• $5,500 per online Prime Times series
• Team member training
• Access to curriculum materials
• Access to experienced Humanities Washington staff

All Washington State public libraries, elementary schools, museums, family resource centers, and other youth-serving organizations are eligible to submit letters of interest.

Online Prime Time Team Member trainings in 2025 have ended. Please contact us at [email protected] if you have any team members who will need support before the next round of trainings in January 2026. 

As a reminder, all team members new to Prime Time are required to complete training in advance of implementing a Prime Time program. Trainings include a program overview, role-specific sessions, and a practicum. Before attending a workshop, trainees receive practice copies of Prime Time books, a short reading list, and links to self-paced online role-specific training modules. More updates to come.  

Contact Us

For more information about Prime Time, please contact our Prime Time Team at [email protected], or 206-682-1770 ext. 104.

Contact Prime Time Program Managers