“Imagine you’re in the Stone Age and you don’t have a stone. Imagine you’re in the Bronze Age and you don’t have any bronze. Now, imagine you’re living in the Information Age and you can’t read.” With only one-third of American fourth graders reading well enough to qualify as proficient, illiteracy is an issue that affects the whole community. Research shows illiteracy is a pipeline to prison, homelessness, unemployment, and depression.
On April 25 we hosted the “Right to Read” Film Screening to open a discussion with the community on how Classroom Grandparent volunteers are one solution to children’s rising illiteracy rates.
The “Right to Read” Film shares the stories of an activist, a teacher, and two American families who fight to provide our youngest generation with the most foundational indicator of life-long success: the ability to read. Following the film, Seniors in Service Classroom Grandparents who are on the front lines, helping children learn to read in Pinellas County’s most high-need classrooms shared the challenges they see in the classroom AND how the one-on-one tutoring they provide is making a difference. Seniors in Service Board Member Traci Bergman, who is a literacy expert and advocate, shared how the science of reading is setting students on a path toward success to be lifelong learners.
Thank you to Pinellas County School Board Chairperson Laura Hine for shining light on how hard our community works to instill exceptional education for all students. A big shout out to the Center for Health Equity’s amazing staff who helped make the event run smoothly and contributed to a very successful evening!