Lending Library of games, reading resources, projects, and activities that families can use to help their kids succeed in school.

FamilyTies Incline is a program of Incline Education Fund, a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to promoting academic achievement and skill development for our students and providing support for our parents and educators. Incline Education Fund has been actively involved in helping our local schools implement STEM, with science, technology, engineering, art, and math enrichment. FamilyTies is an extension of this efforting - bringing it home to Incline families.

FamilyTies was developed from three observations:
  • Older children are often asked to care for their younger siblings. Using activities and games, older kids can share the skills they've learned in school with their younger siblings, helping both improve their school success.
  • Families often do not have time to find books and projects for their children. We can help make this easier, with projects that have all the pieces together in one box, ready for use. Parents can also use this app on their cellphones to listen to read-aloud stories with their child every night. Reading with your child is one of the key factors in school success.
  • Expanding vocabulary is critical to children's success. We can help by providing you the words that children are expected to know in each grade level, with flash cards and listening links to help kids learn them.

We appreciate contributions and volunteers for this program. Currently, our top needs are:

  1. Space for our boxes of games and kits.
  2. Volunteers who want to work with kids if they get stuck on a project or in reading.
  3. Globe (used) for our Maps and Globes book.
  4. Legos (no longer used by you) to supplement a few kits that have moving Lego-compatible parts.
  5. Abandoned rock collection - or parts of a collection - to supplement our geology resources.
  6. Ongoing: Cardboard tubes, toilet paper rolls, papertowel rolls, and boxes (all sizes - but mostly small) for projects.
  7. Ongoing: Craft supplies of any kind.
  8. Games that differ from the ones we are already offering. Due to limited space, we only keep one of any item.
  9. Someone who loves to play with 3D printers to recreate missing pieces from our games.
If you would like to contribute items or financing to FamilyTies, email Carolyn Usinger or visit the Incline Education Fund website.