Read Charlotte just announced its upcoming inaugural "Commit to 80" campaign, a mission which aims not only to raise awareness of the critical importance of children's literacy, but to also activate everyone in Mecklenburg County to commit to do their part to reach the community goal of 80% of third graders reading proficiently by 2025. The community is being asked to pledge commitment in March and ultimately get involved throughout the year.
"Read Charlotte was launched in 2015 as a community-wide effort to change this alarming statistic," explained Executive Director Munro Richardson. "Third grade is the critical dividing line between learning to read and reading to learn. We spent the first two years digging into the research and finding what works to move the needle for kids from birth through third grade. In 2017, we began implementing what works to improve early literacy, working alongside dozens of committed community partners to move toward this goal of doubling the number of Charlotte-Mecklenburg third graders reading proficiently. The early momentum is encouraging but it will take an army of dedicated people "committing to 80" with us. Everyone has a part to play. We know that working together, we can do this."