 There are approximately 36 million adults in the U.S. who read at or below the equivalent of a third grade reading level. Eighty-eight percent of people who drop out of high school were poor readers in the third grade, so the cycle continues. Low-literate adults have difficulty completing job applications, opening bank accounts, reading prescription labels, navigating healthcare forms, and even reading their children a bedtime story. While existing programs can help, they are not easily accessible or scalable. We need a radical new approach to adult literacy learning, a solution that puts learning tools in the hands of those who need them most so that learning can happen anytime, anywhere. We need more ideas and more people thinking about this horrible problem in our country. That's why we're launching the $7 million Barbara Bush Foundation Adult Literacy XPrize, presented by Dollar General Literacy Foundation, a competition challenging teams to develop mobile applications for adult learners that will result in the greatest increase in literacy skills in just 12 months. I think the biggest failing of the current system is accessibility. And our Adult Literacy XPrize will allow people to learn to read on their cell phone, so it could be on a train, it could be waiting for an elevator. We want it to be as authentic a learning experience as possible, and one where you feel connected to other people, even though it's a technology experience at the same time. Literacy changes everything. It uplifts, it connects, it unlocks skills people need to improve their lives, empowering them to pursue their dreams, out in the world, and right here at home, where it matters most. Big challenges require big solutions, and that's why XPrize is an important step in addressing illiteracy on a large scale. Join the mission, form a team, or follow the competition online. Be part of transforming lives through literacy.