What is the social impact?

We know that a child who doesn’t read by third grade is far more likely to drop out of school than a proficient reader. We know that someone lacking a high school education has a bleak future, and is more likely to enter the social or the judicial system, costing taxpayers $258,000 and imposing a burden of $755,900 over their lifetimes. We also know kids need to get outside and move to develop healthy bodies and minds, yet almost half of our kids are obese, overweight, and many don’t have a neighborhood playground.

For citations to these statistics, check out the Big Picture.