Our Vision

City National Bank’s vision is for all children to discover the joy of reading and to experience a lifelong love of books. Research confirms that children learn better and are more likely to be literate later in life when they have access to books. The size and quality of a school library is the best predictor of academic achievement. Yet in California, Nevada, and New York, school libraries average about 12 books per student—compared with a national recommendation of 16 to 25 per student.

To support this vision, City National Bank established Reading is the Way Up^® in 2002 (and the Reading is the Way Up^® Fund
at the California Community Foundation in 2004). Through this multifaceted literacy program, the company invests in:

• School libraries with gifts of books;
• K-12 schools with grants to enhance literacy efforts; and,
• Colleagues with paid time off to read to students during the workday (up to 3 hours per month).