Reading for the Future

The Achieve Brown County Collective Impact Partnership

Early Grade Reading Initiative

September 3, 2024

Right to Read film showing and panel discussion shedding light on literacy crisis

“Once you learn to read, you will forever be free.” —Frederick Douglass

When a child can’t read, their chances of incarceration, homelessness, and unemployment increase. With over 60% of Brown County's young people currently NOT reading proficiently, our community recognizes the crucial time we are in and the actions we need to take to support the future of our community and the success of our young people. The Achieve Brown County Collective Impact Partnership (ABC) convened partners to watch the documentary, the Right to Read and discuss the implications of the films themes on our own community...read more

Keep a look out: Right to Read public showing

Join our next showing, in October, of The Right to Read film, convened by the Achieve Brown County Collective Impact Partnership.

Right to Read Film Website

What people are saying about the Right to Read film...

The Right to Read 2023 Trailer

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LeVar Burton and Jenny Mackenzie discuss new documentary "The Right To Read"

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40 years after ‘Reading Rainbow,’ LeVar Burton is still fighting for literacy

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Documentary film asks: Do all children have ‘The Right to Read?’

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The Achieve Brown County Collaborative Impact Partnership Action Teams

Reading for the Future (RFF) is a community-wide initiative to improve Kindergarten Readiness and Early Grade Reading outcomes in Brown County by connecting providers and improving early education systems.

Three teams are working towards a shared vision: ALL children will be proficient readers by third grade.

Every Child is Ready to Read

Healthy readers start early. The Every Child is Ready to Read Collaborative Action Team is focused on changing systems of support for parents to feel empowered to get their child ready to read before they enter Kindergarten.

READy for Life

It takes our entire community to support healthy readers. The READy for Life Collaborative Action Team is focused on changing the narrative in our community about Brown County's literary crisis. They aim to ignite a spark within individuals and organizations to take action.

Reading for the Future Strategy

Change takes process and strategy. The Reading for the Future Collaborative Action Strategy Team is focused on forming structure, direction, and cohesion for the Reading for the Future initiative and its current and future Collaborative Action Teams.

Join an Action Team

Q&A About the Reading for the Future initiative

What is reading proficiency?

Proficiency: Student demonstrates adequate understanding of and ability to apply the knowledge and skills for their grade level that are associated with college content-readiness.

Why focus on third grade reading proficiency?

According to 2022-2023 data from the Department of Public Institution, only 36% of Brown County third graders are reading at or above proficiency.

Reading at or above proficiency by the end of third grade is an important milestone in a young person's life. The shift from learning to read to reading to learn happens in fourth grade. This means, if a student can’t read proficiently in third grade, they will have a difficult time learning other subjects. Reading is a foundational skill that is correlated with future educational success, including high school graduation.

How long will it take to reach our goal?

The short answer: Decades.

The long answer: While we have more than one goal through this initiative, our BIG GOAL is to increase third grade reading proficiency. The way we measure reading proficiency is through scores from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction's Forward Exam, taken by youth in third grade. Remember, we all are working to shift a population level outcome, focusing our efforts on youth as young as one year old. In our community, a one year old child today will not be measured on the Forward Exam until they reach third grade, in seven years.

Upcoming Local Literacy Events

Wisconsin Child Care Summit

The Wisconsin Childcare Summit convenes visionary business leaders committed to learning more about and addressing the childcare crisis in our state. Through a business-centric approach to the childcare crisis, we strive to create a platform where leaders can learn about the economic impact and discuss workforce retention and attraction strategies.

When & Where: September 11, 2024 | Green Bay, Wisconsin, Resch Expo Center

Convened by the Greater Green Bay Chamber

2024 Reach Out and Read Wisconsin Annual Meeting

Reach Out and Read Wisconsin is excited to host its Annual Meeting. The day-long meeting is a learning and networking opportunity for our Reach Out and Read community. It will include a keynote by Dr. John Hutton, six different breakout session options, and much more.

When & Where: Sept. 27, 2024 | Appleton, Wisconsin, Bubolz Nature Preserve

Convened by Reach Out and Read Wisconsin

Celebrating 10 Years of Collective Impact | Save the Date

Join the Achieve Brown County Collective Impact Partnership as we all celebrate 10 years of collective impact and the launch our strategic plan. Partners and staff will share current work around increasing youth literacy and the state of cradle-to-career outcomes in Brown County. We will cheers to the past 10 years and envision together what will come in the next ten!

Save the Date: October 22 | 8:30-11 AM | Backstage at The Meyer Theater

Convened by the Achieve Brown County Collective Impact Partnership

Right to Read Film Showing

The Right to Read shares the stories of a courageous activist, a teacher, and two American families who fight to provide our youngest generation with the most foundational indicator of life-long success: the ability to read. Watch the film, join the conversation, and be part of the solution to get Brown County's young people on a road to academic and life-long success.

Keep a look out: October 2024

Convened by the Achieve Brown County Collective Impact Partnership

Who is the Achieve Brown County Collective Impact Partnership?

The Achieve Brown County Collective Impact Partnership is a community-wide, mostly volunteer, network of committed individuals and organizations that use data and rally community to co-create equitable conditions so every young person can thrive.

Our Collective Impact Partnership is the voice and commitment of our entire community's drive to change the way we support young people. We do this by committing to a shared community wide vision, tracking data on seven county wide youth outcomes, and taking action to create lasting change.

Receive Achieve Brown County agency updates, StriveTogether and Collective Impact Partner news, local spotlights and successes, and youth outcome data for Brown County four times a year, right in your inbox!

Subscribe to ABC's quarterly Cradle-to-Career Newsletter

Have thoughts on topics we should include in future newsletters? Let us know by responding to this email or reaching out to info@achievebrowncounty.org.