UIndy Hosts First-Ever Community Literacy Day

Event brings families, authors, and educators together to promote childhood literacy

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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The University of Indianapolis hosted its inaugural Community Literacy Day on Saturday, offering local authors, storytellers, hands-on crafts, comic strip writing, and music therapy centered around books and a love of learning. The goal was to inspire kids to see reading and writing as 'cool' while providing free books and literacy-focused activities.

Why it matters

Indiana has seen improvements in third-grade literacy rates in recent years, but there is still work to be done to achieve 100% literacy. Community events like this aim to increase access to books and engage young readers at an early age.

The details

The event featured partnerships with organizations like Indy Reads, which offers free adult education classes to help reach the vision of universal literacy. Organizers say the path forward starts with getting more books into the hands of kids to keep them engaged.

  • The University of Indianapolis hosted its first-ever Community Literacy Day on Saturday, March 1, 2026.
  • Last year, the Indiana Department of Education reported third-grade literacy rates reached a historic high of 87.3%.

The players

Tracy Johnson

An assistant professor at the University of Indianapolis who organized the event with the goal of making reading and writing 'cool' for kids.

Lindsay Carl

A parent who attended the event, saying she tries to continue the 'joy' and 'growth' of reading for her family.

Katherine Culp

A representative from Indy Reads, a nonprofit that offers free adult education classes to help achieve 100% literacy in the community.

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What they’re saying

“I want kids to walk away thinking reading and writing is cool. They're gonna have a chance to get a free book, they're going to have a chance to do some fun activities.”

— Tracy Johnson, Assistant Professor, University of Indianapolis (wrtv.com)

“We love to read, so anytime that I can continue that growth and continue that joy, we try to do those events to continue to bring joy and expose them.”

— Lindsay Carl, Parent (wrtv.com)

“We have a vision of 100% literacy for all. To go about achieving that vision, we offer free adult education classes to our community.”

— Katherine Culp, Indy Reads (wrtv.com)

What’s next

The University of Indianapolis says it plans to make Community Literacy Day an annual event.

The takeaway

This community event demonstrates the ongoing efforts to improve childhood literacy in Indiana, with a focus on increasing access to books, engaging young readers, and partnering with organizations to achieve the goal of 100% literacy for all.