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Reading proficiency by the end of third grade is one of the most important predictors of high school graduation and career success.

To help more low-income children reach this important reading milestone, United Way of the Midlands supports Raise Me to Read.

This campaign focuses on three key areas that impact grade-level reading:

• Preparing kids from birth to age five for school,
• Encouraging students to attend school every day and
• Fostering learning during the summer months.

Ensuring students have access to books plays an important part in the campaign’s success. In low-income areas, there is just one book for every 300 children. To address this, United Way of the Midlands locally funds a national literacy program known as Book Trust. Through this program, students at 10 Title 1 schools across six local school districts can select and order their own Scholastic books. At the end of each school year, students have approximately 20-30 Scholastic books in their at-home libraries.

Over the next two years, Emerging Leaders are fundraising to put more books in these students’ hands. They also read to children once a month at two local schools.