It takes effort to ensure children have the skills to succeed in life –but the result is a big win for everyone. That's why we fight.
IF OUR CHILDREN DON'T WIN, WE ALL LOSE
85% of juveniles who cycle through the juvenile court system cannot read. What's more, they are exponentially more likely to commit crimes as adults.
Illiteracy costs businesses and tax payers more than $225 billion a year and adds more than $230 billion to America's healthcare costs annually.
Illiterate kids grow into illiterate adults – and 43% live in poverty if they are at the low end of the proficiency scale. (Only 4% of literate adults live in poverty.)
32 million adults in the U.S. are illiterate, living more challenging lives than they likely would if they could read. Our kids still have a chance. Help us fight.
Sources: National Assessment of Adult Literacy, Department of Education, National Council for Adult Learning, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, American Journal of Public Health, U.S. Justice Department, National Center for Education Statistics (2003) & U.S. Department of Education