Cleveland Reads Company Challenge

Take the Challenge

A Message from the Cleveland Reads Co-Chairs

Reading is your first literacy. It opens doors to lifelong learning and success.

Through a collaborative effort between the City of Cleveland, the Cleveland Public Library (CPL), the Cleveland Teachers Union, and 30 community partners, the Cleveland Reads challenge was launched to get more Clevelanders reading and provide books and literacy resources to our community. Our original goal was to read one million books and/or one million minutes in 2023.

We’re proud to announce that we’ve already surpassed our minute goal, but we’re not stopping there! We need to reach higher because a city that reads is a city that succeeds.

You can help. Participate in the Cleveland READS Company Challenge TODAY!

By joining forces, we can make a significant impact in our city and foster a love of reading. Let us work together to broaden the scope and effectiveness of literacy efforts and motivate more people to read.

Connie Hill-Johnson
Cleveland READS Co-Chair
Thomas Dewey
Cleveland READS Co-Chair

A City That Reads Is a City That Succeeds

Economically, adults without a GED/high school diploma earn $1 million less over the course of their lives than those who hold a diploma.

Source: Seeds of Literacy

A Case for Giving

Consistently getting to a job on time? Helping kids with homework? Making healthy decisions? Increased literacy skills and resources help adults become more able to help themselves, their families, and their communities.

Case in point: When it comes to the importance of reading, six minutes makes the difference. Statistics show that children who meet grade-level benchmarks read just six minutes more per day than their peers who do not reach grade-level benchmarks.

Cleveland Public Library in partnership with local nonprofit organizations, businesses, corporations, associations, media, and the government has taken up the call issued by Mayor Justin M. Bibb to host a city-wide reading campaign that will help to build our city’s literacy levels. Together we will raise awareness of the importance of reading literacy and nurture a love of reading. The challenge will be for Clevelanders to read one million books in 2023. Minutes read counts too!

Problem Statement

A parent’s reading skill is the greatest determinant of a child’s future academic success and outweighs other factors like neighborhood and family income. An adult without a high school diploma earns 42% less than an adult with a diploma. Schoolchildren are still working to overcome the learning loss incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cleveland students saw the largest drop in fourth-grade reading scores as issued in the October 2022 nation’s report card. Whether eliminating poverty, lowering incarceration rates, improving healthcare, or increasing kids’ academic success, literacy plays a pivotal, but often overlooked role. Cleveland’s future success is shared by all its residents.

Benefits of Reading

The benefits of reading are proven for every age level. Early literacy is the foundation of education. Early literacy skills in young children allow them to enter kindergarten with a love of books and a readiness to learn. Instilling a love of reading in your child is the key to their success in the future.

One of the key benefits of reading is expanding your vocabulary. Teenagers whose habits were tracked since birth for a study showed that those who grew up in book-loving homes knew 42% more words than those who didn’t. A broad vocabulary is a crucial skill for success. It allows for smooth communication and is a prerequisite for leadership, regardless of your profession.

For adults, reading for 30 minutes or more per week included a 21% higher chance of significantly broadening one’s general knowledge. And people reading at least this much were 27% more likely to find it easy to start a conversation. According to studies, reading offers even better stress reduction than some of the other popular methods, such as listening to music or exercising. Likewise, health and wellness statistics show that 30 minutes of reading can also lower the heart rate, blood pressure, and feelings of psychological distress. Reading could help reduce mental decline in old age (by up to 32%). People who engage in mentally stimulating activities later in life experience less cognitive decline.

Our Request

Please join us in this campaign to raise awareness of the importance of literacy. Together we will encourage and increase reading levels in our city.

Become a Sponsor

Applying for a job, understanding a prescription or helping their children with homework can be hindered without literacy skills.

Source: Seeds of Literacy

Sponsor Levels

Nobel (Presenting) Sponsor

$100,000

  • Company name/logo featured on digital and print promotional materials & signage
  • Appearance on one of the WKYC’s “We the People” to promote campaign
  • Twenty (20) tickets to Cleveland Reads Fall 2023 Celebration hosted by Cleveland Public Library Foundation
  • Vendor table at Cleveland Reads Kickoff, Midyear and Closing events
  • Welcome remarks provided at a key program
  • Recognition/logo featured on Cleveland Reads website
  • Recognition on social media posts
  • Press release mention 

Pulitzer Sponsor

$50,000

  • Company name/logo featured on digital and print promotional materials & signage
  • Sixteen (16) tickets to Cleveland Reads Fall 2023 Celebration hosted by Cleveland Public Library Foundation
  • Vendor table at Cleveland Reads Kickoff, Midyear and Closing events
  • Recognition/logo featured on Cleveland Reads website
  • Recognition on social media posts 
  • Press release mention 

National Book Award Sponsor 

$25,000

  • Company name/logo featured on digital and print promotional materials & signage
  • Vendor table at Cleveland Reads Kickoff, Midyear and Closing events
  • Twelve (12) tickets to Cleveland Reads Fall 2023 Celebration hosted by Cleveland Public Library Foundation
  • Recognition/logo featured on Cleveland Reads website
  • Recognition on social media

Carnegie Medal Sponsor

$10,000

  • Company name/logo on digital and print promotional materials & signage
  • Eight (8) tickets to Cleveland Reads Fall 2023 Celebration hosted by Cleveland Public Library Foundation
  • Recognition/logo featured on Cleveland Reads website
  • Recognition on social media

Caldecott Medal Sponsor

$5,000

  • Company name/logo on digital and print promotional materials & signage
  • Four (4) tickets to Cleveland Reads Fall 2023 Celebration hosted by Cleveland Public Library Foundation
  • Recognition/logo featured on Cleveland Reads website

Book Club Sponsor

$2,500

  • Tickets to Cleveland Reads Fall 2023 Celebration hosted by Cleveland Public Library Foundation

Take the Extra Mile

Cleveland READS Company Challenge is an opportunity for organizations to demonstrate their support for reading literacy and the Cleveland READS campaign.

Companies that sign on to the Challenge will pledge sponsorship (minimum $2,500) and signup their staff for the Cleveland READS challenge.

Read

Get your staff engaged…

Sign your staff up for Cleveland READS


Commit to 20-minutes of all-staff reading


Create internal company challenges


Reward staff who participate in the challenge

Promote

Spread the word through…

Highlighting Cleveland READS on your organization’s social channels


Including updates about Cleveland Reads in your newsletters


Hanging Cleveland READS posters in your locations for customers and staff to see

Volunteer

Provide assistance with…

book drives of high-quality books for CMSD schools through our partners at the Kids’ Book Bank.


Volunteer to aid the Library’s paid tutors in helping youth patrons with homework.


Various Library programs including but not limited to Summer Lit League reading activities for youth.

Incentivize

Reward the effort…

Provide in-kind prizes. If you have valuable items or services, donate them to Cleveland Reads as a prize.


Help purchase grand prizes for Cleveland Readers