Gift of Knowledge

Here at the First National Bank in Pratt, we are proud to offer our Gift of Knowledge program to our younger customers. Through this program, Pratt county pre-school children are able to receive free books.

What is the Gift of Knowledge Library?

"The Gift of Knowledge Library" is designed to send every Pre-school child in Pratt County a free book every month until their fifth birthday. If a child is enrolled at birth there is a possibility the child could receive 60 books; a different book each month for five years.

Here is how our Gift Of Knowledge Library book program works. A parent or guardian can obtain a registration form at the First National Bank in Pratt's Information Desk, clip one from the Tuesday edition of the Pratt Tribune in our ad on the Kid's Page, or from the following:

Pratt County Health Department
Parents As Teachers Program
Elementary Schools in Pratt County
Pratt Public Library
PACT
Pratt Regional Medical Center (through the New Beginnings Program)

All registration forms must be completed by the child's parent or guardian and returned to the Information Counter of the First National Bank or mailed to:

The Gift of Knowledge Library
P.O. Box N
Pratt , Kansas 67124

Once a registration form is verified and approved, after the initial starting period, pre-school children will receive a book in the mail within approximately six to eight weeks.

Thereafter, so long as they reside in Pratt County, pre-school children will automatically receive a free "Gift of Knowledge" library book each month.

The program continues until the child is five years old. Books will be mailed directly to the address listed on the official registration form in the child's name.

Children moving outside of Pratt County will exit the program at that time. Children moving into Pratt County may participate in the program following approval of an official registration form.

If a child's residence changes, a parent or guardian must notify the "Gift of Knowledge Library", in order to continue receiving books.Starting a child on this book program is simple. The only three requirements for a child to receive the "Gift of Knowledge" books are:

A parent or guardian must complete the registration form
The child must be under the age of five
The child must be living in Pratt County

Sign your child up today!!!

History of the Gift of Knowledge Library

First National Bank in Pratt Chairman & CEO, David Chandler, decided that the the bank should sponsor a program to help pre-school children in Pratt County. He made this decision based on the following facts:

National research of the experiences of thousands of families, as well as research in child development, affirmed the benefits of early learning experiences for children.

Research also shows that the activities such as parents reading regularly with their children, beginning with infancy, can produce a significant growth in I.Q. which last a child's lifetime.

Parents reading regularly with their children during the pre-school years can give a child the biggest boost toward a successful education they may ever have.

After a thorough investigation of a program that would encourage this type of activity, Mr. Chandler decided that the benefits to the children in Pratt County would outweigh the cost of the program. This is when the idea of giving away thousands of books a year on a continuous basis to children in Pratt County became a reality.

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