One of the many important programs that Senator James H. Donovan put into place was the Parents As Reading Partners program. He started this program as the Chairman of the State Senate Education Committee, as a way to foster the love of reading in children. He asked parents to set aside fifteen minutes each day to read with their children.
Continued after the death of Senator James Donovan by the New York State PTA, the program encourages reading at home. PARP hopes to foster a love of learning for children, while also creating a daily communication between parents and children and impressing upon children the idea that reading can be fun.
The New York State PTA even sponsors region PARP Awards annually, from which a statewide winning PARP program is then selected.