We replace screen fatigue with deep-reading fitness. Our high-energy, 60-minute assembly uses storytelling, comedy and audience participation to prove to students that offline reading is the ultimate mental workout and a pathway to success in life.

Reading Renaissance

Building a Culture of Reading, One Page at a Time

Reading Opens the World

Throughout history, young people have faced extraordinary odds and risen above them, often with a book, a mentor, or a program as their turning point. Malala Yousafzai, who defied threats and violence to champion girls' education, has spoken powerfully about how reading and learning gave her both a voice and a purpose. Frederick Douglass, born into slavery in the 1800s, taught himself to read in secret, and that single act of discovery became the foundation of his freedom and his lifelong fight for justice. Helen Keller, left deaf and blind after illness as a toddler, found her world cracked open by her teacher Anne Sullivan, who guided her into language and literature and unlocked a mind that would go on to inspire millions. Each of these stories carries the same quiet truth: reading doesn't just inform, it transforms. It reveals who we are, expands what we believe is possible, and connects us to lives and ideas far beyond our own circumstances.

At Reading Renaissance, we believe that spark is available to everyone. Whether you're a parent hoping to instill a lifelong habit, a teen searching for something that speaks to your experience, or simply someone who has drifted away from books and wants to find their way back, there is a story waiting for you. Reading is how we discover the world, and more importantly, how we discover ourselves.

Reading Renaissance is on a mission to put books back at the heart of daily life. We believe reading has the power to transform minds, strengthen communities, and open doors. Learn more about what we do, and get in touch to join the movement.

The Renaissance of the 14th century was a movement that marked the end of the Middle Ages and improved people’s lives by providing broader access to education and knowledge. In the 21st century we have virtually unlimited access to education and knowledge via electronic media. Yet, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) , often called the Nation’s Report Card reports that reading scores for 4th and 8th graders fell to new lows in 2024, continuing a downward trend that began before the pandemic. Average scores dropped further, with many districts showing declines over the past decade. At the same time leisure reading has decreased significantly: the percentage of adults reading at least one book per year has fallen. Daily reading for pleasure among 13 -year- olds has dropped sharply (from 27% in 2012 to 14% in 2023), and overall reading for fun has declined by more than 40% over the past two decades.

read·ing ren·ais·sance | /ˈrēdiNG ˈrenəˌsäns/ | noun

An interactive performance that uses storytelling, comedy, and audience participation to inspire a love of reading and writing.

• JAMA Pediatrics (2023–2024): heavier recreational screen time in kids/teens is linked with more sleep problems and more mental health symptoms.

• The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health (2024): higher social media use is associated with worse wellbeing in some adolescents, especially with late-night use.

• Pediatrics / AAP-linked studies (2023–2024): excessive screen time in children is associated with language delays, shorter sleep, and attention problems.

• Nature Human Behaviour / similar recent work (2024): problematic smartphone use is associated with anxiety, depression, and poorer attention, but effects vary by person and usage pattern.

• Sleep medicine studies (2023–2024): evening screen exposure is consistently tied to later sleep onset and shorter sleep duration.

Stats by age group

Teens

• Many large studies find higher screen use = higher risk of sleep loss.

• Heavy social media/smartphone use is often linked with more anxiety/depressive symptoms.

• Risk is strongest when use is late at night or very compulsive.

Adults

• Common effects: sleep disruption, eye strain, headaches, reduced focus.

• Problematic use is linked with lower productivity and more stress.

• Night-time use is a major driver of sleep issues.

Kids

• Excess screen time is associated with language, attention, and self-regulation problems.

• More screen time often means less physical activity and less sleep.

• The youngest children seem most sensitive to high daily exposure.