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Every Child Deserves the Chance to Learn and Thrive

Millions of children across the U.S. face barriers to learning, especially in rural communities where access to books, early childhood education, nutritious food and other essential resources can be limited. Save the Children’s Learn Without Limits is working to help every child build the skills they need to succeed.

Inside the Rural Education Crisis

2 in 3

2 in 3 American kids can’t read at grade level by their 10th birthday.

40%

40% of all rural kids qualify for free and reduced-price school meals.

23%

Children in rural communities are 23% more likely to live in poverty.

30

Most rural children don’t have access to a single childcare center within a 30-minute drive.

Understanding the Barriers to Learning—and How You Can Help

Kids in rural communities have less access to the resources they need to thrive, like early childhood education, learning opportunities and nutritious food. 

  • Children in rural areas are 23% more likely to live in poverty than children in non-rural areas. 
  • 40% of all rural kids qualify for free and reduced-price school meals, making them especially vulnerable to food insecurity. 
  • Rural households are burdened with high costs, spending on average 28% of their income on transportation, 24% of their income on housing, and around 10% of their income on child care.
  • On average, rural families earn nearly $30,000 less per year than non-rural families.
  • In the 39 states with available data, rural 3rd – 8th graders are, on average, half a grade behind non-rural students in reading.

 

Save the Children collaborates with diverse rural American communities and provides resources for the kids who need support most — so they enter kindergarten ready to learn and reach critical goals in the 3rd and 5th grades. With a common focus on making a lifelong impact for children, our experts work with community leaders to help all kids thrive.

  • In 2025, 97% of teachers said our KinderBoost program was effective in supporting a smooth transition to kindergarten for participating children. 
  • 68% of K-6th graders in our math programs achieved typical or high growth – exceeding the national average of 65%. 
  • 70% of K-6th graders in our literacy programs made typical or high gains in reading – also exceeding the national average of 65%. 

Learn Without Limits (LWL) is Save the Children's signature multi-year campaign developed to raise awareness and support for our U.S. programs. Our vision is to get every child reading by grade 3 – because when a child learns to read, their future is limitless!

LWL has four key components: 

  • Early childhood education 
  • Grade-school proficiency 
  • Food security 
  • Closing the teacher gap 

This powerful, nationwide movement spotlights rural America’s education crisis and empowers families, communities and local partners to drive lasting change. 

The Learn Without Limits National Day of Action and Giving launched on September 8, 2026, in recognition of World Literacy Day. The nationwide effort invited people to join the movement to help every child read by grade three by taking one or more of three simple actions: Read, Share and Give. 

People could read with a child, share the importance of literacy and be a reading role model, or give to support books, education opportunities and resources for children across rural America. 

Although the National Day of Action and Giving was a one-day launch event, Learn Without Limits is an ongoing movement. Save the Children will continue working year-round with communities, partners and supporters to help children build the reading and learning skills they need to reach their full potential and thrive.

As part of the launch of Learn Without Limits, Save the Children and its partners unveiled children’s book vending machines in five rural communities across California, Kentucky, Mississippi, Texas and Washington. The machines provide children with free books and the opportunity to choose and own a book, helping expand access to literacy resources in communities where books and learning opportunities can be limited.

There are many ways to invest in Save the Children’s work in rural America, ensuring we’re able to provide the resources and education support kids need to succeed – as learners and in life. 

  1. DONATE: Your gift can help provide essentials like school supplies, books and nutritious food to kids across the U.S. 
  2. LEARN MORE: Explore our work in rural America and worldwide.
  3. FUNDRAISE: Start a fundraiser in your community! 

As part of the Learn Without Limits launch, Save the Children and its partners brought children’s book vending machines to five rural communities in California, Kentucky, Mississippi, Texas and Washington. The machines give children access to free books while letting them choose a book of their own, helping make reading more accessible in communities where books and literacy resources can be harder to find.

Help Every Child Learn Without Limits

Here are 3 easy ways to help every child read by grade 3.

Read

Spend 10 minutes a day reading with a child in your life. To help, we’ll share our FREE reading toolkit, Raise Curious Readers, when you sign up now!

Share

Gift your favorite book, support a local teacher and be a reading role model for kids.

Give

Help provide the learning essentials, nutritious food and other support kids need to thrive for life.

Download your FREE back-to-school reading toolkit!

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How Your Support is Helping Kids Learn Without Limits

Every $1 invested in early childhood education returns $7 to $12 in benefits for the whole society.

Early Childhood Education

Our programs create high-quality child-care spaces and offer personalized home visits to prepare kids and their caregivers for kindergarten.

School-Age Education

We provide in-school, after-school and summer learning support to help students hit key reading and math milestones and give schools the tools to keep kids on track.

Food Security

We close food access gaps and get nutritious meals to the most vulnerable families — because kids can’t learn when they’re hungry. 

Closing the Teacher Gap

We shrink child-care deserts by increasing the number of qualified educators, supporting child-care centers and expanding access to high-quality services.

Our Partners in Helping Kids Learn Without Limits

Learn Without Limits is made possible with the support of partners who share our commitment to helping children access the education, resources and opportunities they need to learn and thrive. Together, we're working to help remove barriers to learning for children and families across the United States.

National Presenting Sponsors

For nearly a decade, Dollar General Literacy Foundation has helped Save the Children expand early literacy programs in rural communities and advance data-driven solutions through our Rural Child Well-Being Dashboards.

Since 2005, Mattel and Save the Children have partnered to improve outcomes for children in the U.S. and around the world, helping expand access to early childhood development opportunities, learning through play, basic education and emergency response programs.

Building on decades of partnership with Save the Children, Scholastic helps expand access to books and literacy resources through Learn Without Limits, empowering children to grow critical reading skills and confidence.

Lead Sponsor

Supporting Sponsors

Media Partners