A person is holding and reading a colorful booklet titled 'Dream Street' with illustrations of children and buildings on the cover, outside under a clear blue sky. 
The Initiative

St. Pete Reads!® is our citywide literacy initiative.

We bring together research, public programming, and media to shift how literacy is understood in St. Petersburg, from something people lack to something our community actively practices and values.

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Group of diverse people crossing the street at an intersection, some with strollers, under a bridge with trees and blue sky overhead. 
THE STUDY

The St. Pete Reads! Study is the community-based research project within the initiative

This project is funded by the Community Foundation of Pinellas, the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg, and United Way Suncoast. The study listens to youth, caregivers, and community members to better understand:

  • How families experience reading in daily life

  • What motivates participation in literacy activities

  • How public programs and shared spaces support reading

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A group of diverse people, including a woman and children, are at an outdoor event, engaging with books and materials on a table with trees and sunlight in the background. 
The Campaign

The PSA Campaign uses local voices, images, and stories to normalize reading as part of everyday life.

Highlighting real people reading in real places, helping reshape public narratives around literacy.

Two smiling women holding white t-shirts with the logo of St. Pete Reads at a literacy event, standing outdoors among lush green foliage. 
the festival

St. Pete Reads!® Lit Fest is our South St. Pete-rooted literacy celebration shaped by community voices.

Held each November, St. Pete Reads! Lit Fest brings youth and families together for a day of books, culture, and community.

Lit Fest grew from early feedback gathered through the St. Pete Reads! Study. Families told us they wanted fun, engaging literacy experiences and more information about literacy programs and resources in our community.

Cultured Books Literacy Foundation created Lit Fest in response to that feedback. The inaugural festival was held in 2022 with support from St. Petersburg College, Shaping the Early Mind and Barbershop Book Club, now the Competitive Readers Coalition, with the Woodson African American Museum of Florida serving as an inaugural sponsor and host site.

Since then, Lit Fest has grown with support from authors, artists, educators, community organizations, sponsors, volunteers and families. The 2026 St. Pete Reads! Lit Fest is supported in part by Creative Pinellas. This arts experience is made possible by a Creative Pinellas grant through Pinellas County arts tourism funding.

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