We launched our Little Town Library initiative in 2022 to ensure that Oakland kids can read anywhere and everywhere. As one arm of broader literacy initiatives that drive our LEARN pillar, we have begun the process of constructing and placing 79 Little Town Libraries in under-resourced areas of Oakland, meeting kids and families where they are, and encouraging school and neighborhood book sharing to develop children’s passion for reading. 

Nationwide, only 1 in 3 kids are reading at grade level by the end of third grade. In Oakland, only 15.4% of Black and 12.5% of Latine elementary school students are reading at grade level. Kids across the country are still reeling from the impact that pandemic distance learning and interrupted academics have had on their literacy development, a challenge disproportionately impacting Black and Latine kids.

Working alongside devoted community partners Oakland Literacy Coalition, Black Cultural Zone, Oakland Public Library, and Oakland Unified School District, Eat. Learn. Play. has already distributed over 12,000 books to Oakland kids and families through Little Town Libraries, with a goal to distribute 71,500 more over the next two years.