In Cuyahoga County, 435,000 residents (nearly one out of two) read at or below a 7th grade level. To visualize that number of people, imagine filling every seat at FirstEnergy Stadium, Progressive Field, Quicken Loans Arena, the Wolstein Center, Public Hall, and Playhouse Square, and 260,000 people are still standing on the street. These numbers are staggering and they represent a daunting social and economic challenge.
This growing class of low-literate people are excluded from job training programs that can help lift themselves out of poverty because they do not have the minimum skills required (usually an 8th grade reading level) to enter programs that would put them on a career pathway and help them earn family-sustaining wages.
We invite you to come hear from community organizations advocating to improve literacy in the community. PechaKucha is a simple PowerPoint presentation format in which a speaker presents 20 images, each for 20 seconds.
This event is free and open to anyone interested in learning more about the organizations helping to improve literacy in Northeast Ohio.
Presenters include:
Debi Abela, Early Childhood Program Associate, University Circle Incorporated
Elizabeth "Boo" Geisse, Program Manager, America SCORES Cleveland
Mahogani Graves, Site Coordinator, Reach Out & Read/ Ready to Learn
Daniel Hahn, Vice President, Community Engagement and Education, Playhouse Square
Pamela Jankowski, Literacy and Learning Division Director, Cuyahoga County Public Library
Judi Kovach, Co-Founder & Chair, Cleveland Kids' Book Bank
Bob Paponetti, Executive Director, The Literacy Cooperative
Susan Sheehan, Supervisor of Adult Education, Parma City School District