Read On Mesa, the City's community literacy initiative, is hosting its first Read On Mesa Literacy Summit Saturday, March 4, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the newly renovated Dobson Ranch Library, 2425 S. Dobson Road. Read On Mesa is comprised of a wide range of community partners including the City of Mesa, Mesa Public Schools, Mesa United Way and Southwest Human Development, among many others.

The literacy summit is an opportunity for residents to learn about, access and engage with literacy programs and resources available in our community. Families can sign up to volunteer in the community, get a library card, drop off book donations, attend readings from special guests, enter a raffle to win prizes and much more!

Special storytimes will be at the library's new THINKspot space. District 2 Councilmember Julie Spilsbury is the guest reader for the 10:30 a.m. storytime. Mayor John Giles will read at 11 a.m. followed by Vice Mayor and District 3 Councilmember Francisco Heredia at 11:15 a.m.

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"Encouraging our children to read, and to love reading at an early age, is one of the important things we can do as parents and as a community because it sets the foundation for a lifetime of success," said Mayor Giles. "The City of Mesa wants to make early literacy a priority in our community."

Good reading habits start at an early age and have a lifelong impact. Data shows that students who are not reading proficiently by the end of third grade typically struggle throughout their elementary years, are less likely to graduate high school and, ultimately, do not meet the expectations of the 21st-century workforce.

"Partnering with Mesa Public Library and Read On Arizona will help us coordinate literacy services to ensure every child is reading at grade level by the end of third grade," said Sarah Tolar, Mesa Education and Workforce Administrator.

Read On Arizona, launched in 2013, is the state's collective impact initiative for early literacy, focusing strategically on school readiness and third-grade reading. Read On Arizona works with schools and school districts, local governments, businesses, faith communities and nonprofit organizations working directly with families.

For more information about the Mesa literacy and education programs, please visit Read On Mesa's webpage.

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