In Cedar Rapids, more than one in four third graders don’t read proficiently at the end of third grade. This increases to more than one in three for low income students. Students who aren’t proficient are four times more likely to not graduate on time, which increases to 13 times if they’re also from a low income household. In 2017, we challenge the community to "Take on Literacy" and move the needle on this statistic.

Take on Literacy is designed to engage the community in incorporating literacy into their lives. They can choose from a menu of options or create their own. These include starting a book club, holding a book drive or library card drive, or give a discount to customers who read aloud or show their library card. This created a unique way to engage with the entire community and show the value of literacy beyond our reach.

Creating a culture of literacy is a strategic goal and "Take on Literacy" is one way in which we are reaching it. We plan to continue to grow it to be our annual engagement campaign, demonstrating successful partnerships through social media and storytelling. We have registered over 30 groups so far this year and anticipate reaching our goal for year one. Over 15 new partnerships have developed as a result of this campaign.