United Way of Champaign County Unveils 'Books with Barbers' Initiative to Boost Children's Literacy

Share and Follow

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — United Way of Champaign County is rolling out an innovative literacy initiative aimed at delivering books and reading materials directly to local barbershops.

Dubbed “Book with Barbers,” this program is being launched at A Cut Above Barber Academy, under the guidance of barber Carlos Harvey, and at Groom Culture, led by barber Malik Dillard. These barbershops are more than just places for haircuts; they are community hubs where relationships are nurtured and families feel at home. This makes them perfect venues for fostering early literacy, according to United Way of Champaign County.

The participating barbershops will be equipped with high-quality, culturally relevant books, along with shelving and signage, to encourage positive reading habits among their patrons.

“Books with Barbers brings literacy into spaces where trust already exists,” stated Bev Baker, Chief Impact Officer at United Way of Champaign County. “By collaborating with Champaign Rotary and Books from Brek, we’re ensuring that children have direct access to books, reinforcing the idea that reading can and should happen everywhere, including in the barbershop.”

United Way said this new program addresses a critical need, as nationally, 82% of Black male fourth graders are not proficient in reading. Locally, only 8.7% of Black third graders in Champaign Unit 4 and 1.7% in Urbana School District 116 meet grade level reading standards.

For many families, access to books remains limited, making community-based approaches essential. This initiative is being sponsored by Champaign Rotary and Books from Brek.

“By placing books in barbershops where families already go and trust, Books with Barbers creates early, positive reading experiences that help children see themselves as readers,” United Way said in its news release.