Whether with a cat in a hat, a fox in a box or the Lorax, young readers got a boost Wednesday thanks to a joint effort between two foundations.
According to the San Diego Council on Literacy, nearly half of all third-graders at schools in the San Diego Unified School District – 46% – are not meeting state standards for language arts. Additionally, between 20% to 25% of adults in San Diego County read prose at the lowest level of literacy.
A joint effort between the Dr. Seuss Foundation and the San Diego Foundation to improve youth literacy rates aims to instill a lifelong love of reading in young children.
The foundations launched “Ready to Learn” on Wednesday, a $15 million joint initiative intended to boost literacy development for children throughout the county, and announced more than $1 million in inaugural grants to 18 local literacy nonprofits.
“Through Ready to Learn, we’re honoring Theodor Geisel’s legacy by ensuring that the joy of reading reaches children during their most formative years, setting them on a path toward lifelong learning and success,” said Jay Hill, executive director of the Dr. Seuss Foundation.
Among the awards:
- $75,000 grants went to American Association of Pediatrics, California Chapter 3, Diamond Educational Excellence Partnership, Episcopal Community Services, Father Joe’s Villages, Monarch School Project, San Diego Rescue Mission, SBCS in Chula Vista, TrueCare and Words Alive.
- $50,000 grants went to Chicano Federation, Library Foundation SD, Literacy Partners, Reading Legacies and Somali Family Service of San Diego.
- Grants of $35,000 or less went to Basic Assistance to Students in the Community, Boys and Girls Club of Vista, Social Advocates for Youth San Diego Inc. and YMCA of San Diego County.
The San Diego Council on Literacy also has some ideas that anyone can implement in order to raise local literacy rates, including:
- Volunteer to be a tutor for a child or adult.
- Read to children at schools, libraries, and other community locations.
- Read to seniors who may be alone or have vision loss.
- Read to your children. Ask them to read to you.
- Donate to a literacy program.
The council further suggests building or restocking neighborhood Little Free Libraries, donating books to lower-income communities, or donating money to nonprofits supporting efforts to improve local literacy rates.
City News Service contributed to this report.
Updated 3 p.m. March 26, 2025
