On Wednesday, Sept. 22, and Thursday, Sept. 23, Roanoke Public Libraries will host representatives from the national Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (CGLR). These CGLR staffers will be bringing community members, funders, and nonprofit employees from Winchester, VA, and Dorchester County, MD--two communities that are considering whether to join the CGLR network. The visit will celebrate Roanoke's creative collaborations, which have led to measurable improvements in third grade reading rates in the City of Roanoke, particularly for low-income children.
On Wednesday afternoon from 1:30 to 3 p.m., the visitors will learn about the lead role the Roanoke Public Libraries have held for the last nine years with a presentation at the Melrose Branch Library and a tour of the Goodwill Jobs Campus. From there, they will visit partner sites, including the new Kids Soar location at the Roanoke Redevelopment and Housing Authority's Villages at Lincoln property. On Thursday, the guests will meet and hear from Star City Reads partners at a breakfast at Mill Mountain Zoo from 9 to 10:30 a.m. This visit is an opportunity for Roanoke to show how the community is working together to boost third grade reading levels, and to celebrate our achievements, including Roanoke's recent receipt of the 2021 Virginia Municipal League Innovation Award in the Working With Youth category.
The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading is a national network of more than 450 communities working to improve children's early learning outcomes. Third grade reading proficiency is a key indicator of whether a child will go on to graduate from high school. CGLR is highlighting the success of Roanoke's Star City Reads initiative as an exemplary CGLR community.
For more information, contact Sheila Umberger, Director of Roanoke Public Libraries, at 853-2476 or [email protected].
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