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Learn more about the importance of literacy

Literacy connects people, brings joy, and allows for life long learning.

Strong literacy skills are passed from generation to generation. The research is unequivocal when it comes to the connection between personal success and literacy skills: all communities benefit from access to literature and literacy skill building.

According to ProLiteracy, children whose parents have a low reading level have a 72% chance of being at the lowest levels themselves. Minnesota has one of the nation's most persistent literacy achievement gaps, with only 32% of the state's black students and 34% of Hispanic students testing 'proficient' in 4th grade, as compared to 66% of white students.
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To reverse this trend and strengthen our Minneapolis community, we need to prioritize high-quality literacy instruction and access to reading materials in schools and at home, for both children and adults.

Adding up the impact

1 IN 6

Proportion of children testing below proficient in reading at the end of 3rd grade who will not graduate from high school on time.*

*Double Jeopardy: How Third Grade Reading Skills and Poverty Influence High School Graduation
**U.S. Adult Literacy Facts published by ProLiteracy
~The High Cost of High School Dropouts: The Economic Case for Reducing the High School Dropout Rate 
+11 Facts About Literacy in America published by DoSomething.org