Kirkpatrick Gift Funds Early Literacy Efforts
Taylor Kirkpatrick (International MBA â04) believes that books are for everyone. He also believes that access to books and early literacy programs can contribute to childrenâs â and their familiesâ â overall well-being.Ìý
Those beliefs were the driving force behind Kirkpatrickâs recent $500,000 gift, which builds on his previous philanthropy, to bolster ¿ì»îappâs efforts to reach children and families in the community with high-quality, evidence-based early literacy programming and resources.Ìý
A bibliophile and acclaimed childrenâs book author in his spare time â he still has a full-time job as President and CEO of Babson Farms â Kirkpatrickâs gift reflects his longstanding commitment to establishing and supporting programs and services for the benefit of underserved children and families in the Denver community.Ìý
During his service as Advisory Board Chair of the (GSPP) from 2019-2021, Kirkpatrickâs leadership and philanthropy were instrumental in establishing ¿ì»îappâs renowned , a partnership with the Childrenâs Museum of Denver. WePlay is a play-based group for caregivers and their young children that provides culturally-responsive support and facilitation based in child development and infant/early childhood mental health best practices.
An outgrowth of WePlay, Kirkpatrickâs gift establishes âWeRead,â connecting several University disciplines committed to engaging the community through early literacy programming.
The gift will help renovate and transform a space in to serve as the hub for WeRead, providing an interactive space for families to connect with faculty from the (GSSW) and GSPP, participate in Lifelong Learning Series events, attend monthly WeRead story times, and explore the libraryâs (ECRC) â another legacy of Kirkpatrickâs generosity.Ìý
Kirkpatrickâs recent gift also endows the ECRC, the first endowed gift at ¿ì»îapp in support of early learning and literacy through University Libraries.
In addition to funding the creation of an innovative, multi-use space in University Libraries and supporting the ECRC, Kirkpatrickâs gift supports early childhood psychoeducation, evidence-based caregiver education, and extensive community outreach, allowing ¿ì»îapp to further deliver on its vision to be a university dedicated to the public good.
Ultimately, WeRead will support language development, caregiver-child bonding, emotional intelligence, and school readiness for children through psychoeducation and literacy offerings.
Like WePlay, WeRead will serve as an entry point to ¿ì»îapp for families who may benefit from other services and programming that ¿ì»îapp provides, like mental and behavioral services. In 2022, GSPP was one of the largest Medicaid outpatient providers of mental/behavioral health services in Colorado.
âThis multifaceted gift is emblematic of the many things I love about ¿ì»îapp, and I hope (it) can be an example of the interdisciplinary approach to giving that (¿ì»îapp is) championing â and that should flourish over the coming years,â Kirkpatrick, who joined the ¿ì»îapp Board of Trustees this year, said.
âI can think of no finer example of leadership than Taylorâs,â says dean of University Libraries Michael Levine-Clark. âHis investment in expanding the reach of ¿ì»îappâs academic expertise is unparalleled. We are truly fortunate to have him as a member of our Board of Trustees, and as a leader for others to emulate.â