Free day at Cleveland Botanical Garden for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library families

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CLEVELAND (WJW) – The Literacy Cooperative is offering a free day at the Cleveland Botanical Garden for families participating in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to promote early childhood literacy in Cuyahoga County.

Cuyahoga County is facing significant literacy challenges. Fifty-six percent of the county’s kindergarteners are not on track to read at their grade level and 54% of the county’s adults are not at a proficient level of literacy.

The free day at the Cleveland Botanical Garde n will be Tuesday, Aug. 6. A special story time with U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown, D-11th, is set for 10:30 a.m.

Brown will share her love for books, early reading experiences and insights from her role as a congresswoman.

According to the Literacy Cooperative , children who don’t have basic literacy skills are four times more likely to drop out of school.

According to a 2023 survey by the Literacy Cooperative, 90% of people reported that the program helped prepare their children for kindergarten, and 78% of parents said they are reading to their children more often since joining the program.

To learn more about the Literacy Cooperative, click here .

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