Over 100 volunteers from Cincinnati Children’s to promote literacy at 12 schools throughout region

Monday, February 27, 2023

More than 100 employees of Cincinnati Children’s will read to schoolchildren throughout the Tri-State as part of a volunteer effort to promote the importance of literacy and health during Read Across America Day on Thursday, March 2, 2023.

Cincinnati Children’s is partnering with a dozen preschool and elementary schools across Southern Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana.

Participating schools include:

• Cline Elementary and Driscoll Elementary in Centerville, Ohio.
• Batesville Elementary in Indiana.
• Caywood Elementary in Crestview Hills, Ky., and Straub Elementary in Maysville, Ky.
• Manchester Elementary in Adams County, Ohio
• Liberty Early Childhood School in Butler County, Ohio
• Cincinnati Public Schools: Oyler School in Lower Price Hill; Rockdale Academy in Avondale; South Avondale School; Winton Hills Academy; and Pleasant Hill Academy in College Hill.

Some volunteers will also read to kids at the Children’s for Children childcare and preschool operated for employees of Cincinnati Children’s.

The volunteers from Cincinnati Children’s will spend quality time reading books that promote language and learning, creativity and imagination. In addition, the volunteers will lead each classroom in a crafting activity connected to the books.

Cincinnati Children’s first partnered with schools for Read Across America Day in 2015, but this year the medical center decided to go bigger and better by partnering with even more schools and communities.

“Now that Cincinnati Children’s is expanding its care across the region and the children that we serve, we want to increase our impact in the communities we support,” said Monica Mitchell, PhD, senior director of Community Relations for the medical center. “Ensuring that every child is reading well at an early age is core to our mission of ensuring that every child is thriving physically and emotionally.”

Cincinnati Children’s will also donate books to each school. Some schools will receive books written by employees of the medical center – including John Hutton, MD, and specialist in community engagement Kristy High, MEd – whose works promote children’s health and well-being.