Contributed

On August 25, 2026, country music star and Tennessee icon Dolly Parton died at age 80. While Parton is best known for her music and Dollywood, many may not be aware of the impact she had on education and childhood literacy rates across the United States.

 

In 1988, Parton started the Dollywood Foundation. which focused on improving educational outcomes in Sevier County, Tennessee, where she grew up.

 

In 1991, dropout rates in Sevier County Schools were high, with 30% of students in the county not graduating from high school. High dropout rates majorly significantly impacted the economic prosperity of Sevier County and the lives of its students.

 

Research conducted by the Dollywood Foundation determined that most students made decisions about their academic futures, including whether to drop out or graduate from high school, during their seventh- and eighth-grade years.

 

Recognizing this, Parton proposed an idea to seventh- and eighth-grade students in the county: find a partner and if both students graduated from high school, they would each receive $500. The program was a major success, bringing dropout rates in Sevier County down to 6%.

 

While the Buddy Program was short-lived, Parton’s impact on future generations did not stop there.

 

Inspired by her father, who was unable to read and write, Parton and the Dollywood Foundation began distributing free books each month to preschool-aged children in Sevier County in 1995. The program, later named the Imagination Library, quickly became the foundation’s hallmark program.

 

On the surface, the Imagination Library may seem like a kind gesture to support families who are fans of Parton. The program has made a significant impact across the United States and around the globe.

 

According to the National Illiteracy Institute’s 2024-25 Literacy Statistics, 54% of adults have a literacy below a 6th-grade level. Additionally, low levels of literacy cost the US up to $2.2 trillion annually.

 

Illiteracy is also strongly associated with poverty. Teaching children to read not only helps them perform well in school but also provides significant physical and mental health benefits.

 

The Imagination Library provides parents and children across the nation with an opportunity to improve childhood literacy early while fostering a healthy relationship with reading at home.

 

The Imagination Library provides one free book each month to eligible families with children under the age 5, regardless of income. Programs have been established in all 50 states, as well as the United Kingdom, Canada, the Republic of Ireland and Australia.

While Parton may be gone, her impact on the lives of children and adults around the globe continues to live on.

To learn more, visit imaginationlibrary.com.

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