Solutions to Inadequate Literacy Skills in Philadelphia: Donate Books or Volunteer

by Ronny Hu, a student reporter from the University of Southern California

There is a significant gap in literacy skills among Philadelphians. You have elementary children not reading at grade level and college students studying at the University of Pennsylvania, which is in the Ivy League.

Local campaigns, universities, and businesses have taken the initiative to provide access to more books and to read to youth. According to Wells Fargo Stories, efforts like this have helped increase the literacy skills of 3rd graders by 4.3%.

Still, more book donations and reading volunteers can magnify the effectiveness of the current solution. Book publishers, people with spare books, and members of higher education can all join the cause.

An adage of Benjamin Franklin goes, “an investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”

Creating university book clubs that read to children online or offline is another method to increase the number of volunteers. A mission worth embracing is giving children incentives to love reading. Book prize awards, reward cards, and celebrity reading events to name a few.

If you are convinced that you can help after reading this brief article, be like Nike, just do it!