Read, Rise and Thrive: Seattle Early Literacy Summit 2026
Read, Rise and Thrive.
9:00 AM to 2:00 PM at The Learning Place, Holgate Street Church of Christ in Seattle. Free books, free lunch and free admission for every family.
The Seattle Early Literacy Summit 2026, Read, Rise and Thrive: Honoring Our Children’s Futures, takes place Saturday, October 24, from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM at The Learning Place at Holgate Street Church of Christ, 2600 S. Holgate St. in Seattle. Hosted by the Seattle King County NAACP Education Committee, it is a citywide early literacy summit and family block party for children from birth to 3rd grade and the grown-ups who love them. Admission, lunch and books are all free.
Why Early Literacy Matters in Seattle
Third grade is the year children stop learning to read and start reading to learn. According to the Seattle King County NAACP, fewer than 1 in 3 Black third graders in Seattle Public Schools (30.9 percent) met the state reading standard in 2025, compared with 76.3 percent of white third graders. That gap shapes everything that comes after it, from middle school math to graduation rates. Read, Rise and Thrive focuses on the years from birth to third grade because that is where the gap can be closed.
The Seattle Early Literacy Summit 2026 is organized by the Seattle King County NAACP Education Committee with partners Seattle Public Schools, the Seattle Department of Education and Early Learning, BCDI-Seattle (the Seattle affiliate of the Black Child Development Institute) and Read Seattle. The morning gives parents, caregivers and educators practical tools. The afternoon is a block party built around the joy of reading.
Free for every family. Registration takes about a minute and helps the organizers have enough books and lunch for every child.
A Day Built for Young Readers and Their Families
Every child who attends the Seattle Early Literacy Summit 2026 receives a literacy passport. Kids visit five hands-on reading stations, then turn in a completed passport at the Book Tent for 3 to 5 free books to take home and keep. Babies on laps, kindergartners sounding out their first words and third graders with a favorite author are all welcome, along with grandparents, aunties, uncles and educators.
What to Expect at the Seattle Early Literacy Summit 2026
- Literacy passport and five reading stationsHands-on stations with drumming, dress-up, cooking and map-making that turn reading into play.
- Free books at the Book TentTurn in a completed passport for 3 to 5 free books to take home and keep.
- Morning workshops for grown-upsSessions for parents, caregivers and educators on supporting early readers at home and in the classroom.
- Family workshops for every communityWorkshops for African immigrant and refugee families and for families affected by incarceration.
- Music and local authorsLive music and local authors who bring stories to life for young readers.
- Free lunch and a resource areaLunch for every family, a community resource area and plenty of room to play.
Every Family Welcome
The event is free, but organizers ask families to register ahead of time so they can plan books and lunch for every child. Registration is free and takes about a minute at readrisethrive.pplx.app. The site also has volunteer sign-up and event details.
Read, Rise and Thrive was designed to be open to every family in Seattle and King County. The flyer names multilingual families, African immigrant and refugee families and justice-impacted families directly, because early literacy gaps are widest where families have the fewest supports. Coming to the Seattle Early Literacy Summit 2026 is a chance to meet other families, connect with local schools and early learning programs, and leave with books and ideas to keep reading at home.
About the Seattle King County NAACP
The Seattle King County NAACP, Branch 1136, is one of the oldest civil rights organizations in the Pacific Northwest. Its Education Committee works for equitable schools and stronger outcomes for Black students across King County. NAACP AOWSAC shares the Seattle Early Literacy Summit 2026 so families across Washington can take part. Find more events across Alaska, Oregon and Washington on the NAACP AOWSAC events calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Seattle Early Literacy Summit 2026
When and where is Read, Rise and Thrive?
Saturday, October 24, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM at The Learning Place at Holgate Street Church of Christ, 2600 S. Holgate St., Seattle, WA 98144.
Does it cost anything?
No. Admission, lunch and books are all free for every family.
Who is the summit for?
Children from birth to 3rd grade and the parents, caregivers, relatives and educators who support them. Every family is welcome.
Do I need to register?
Registration is free and encouraged so the organizers have enough books and lunch for every child. Use the Register Free button on this page.
Can I volunteer?
Yes. The registration site at readrisethrive.pplx.app includes volunteer sign-up and more event details.
Additional Resources
- Seattle King County NAACP Branch 1136
- Seattle Public Schools
- Seattle Department of Education and Early Learning
- Washington State Report Card (OSPI)
Hosted by the Seattle King County NAACP Education Committee and partners, and shared by the NAACP AOWSAC State Area Conference