“The best thing LitWorld ever gave me was the chance to tell my story.”
Daija, LitClub Member
What an amazing world we live in, filled with so many wonders and joys. And surely one of the greatest of joys in my book is being read aloud to. I can still remember sitting with my brother and sisters and listening to my mother Dorothy read to us at night. She worked long hours during the day, but even so, she managed to find time to share beautiful stories with us. It makes me sad and happy at the same time just to think about her voice.
Reading aloud to children: What a gift this gives them! Today, February 1, is World Read Aloud Day, and all across the country and worldwide, there are activities and reading extravaganzas going on to celebrate the power of the word to inspire and inspirit and embolden kids. What a joyful adventure! This year’s World Read Aloud Day happens to coincide with Harry Potter Book Night, so Scholastic and LitWorld are joining forces to make the day a magical one. LitWorld is a global literacy advocacy nonprofit (http://www.litworld.org). Its marvelous motto: “LitWorld empowers young people to author lives of independence, hope, and joy.”
Pam Allyn, executive director of LitWorld, says: “We know that books and stories are companions to every journey, resilience-builders for every child, and lifelong tools for independence and autonomy for everyone. Join us on February 1 and every day to build a world of hope and possibility through the profound joy of reading together.”
What an aspirational, uplifting goal! LitWorld’s global literacy initiatives reach children across the United States and in more than 60 countries. With 57 million children around the world not in school, there’s a lot to be done. It helps both families and children via three major programs:
LitClubs and LitCamps: Ongoing groups based in countries around the world, from Haiti and Peru to India and Kenya, where kids are given the chance to read and learn and share their stories in safe environments.
World Read Aloud Day: Around the world, almost 800 million people are illiterate. LitWorld calls attention to this and to reading as a life skill by celebrating World Read Aloud Day. Its motto: “Read Aloud. Change the World.” — just love that! During a recent year, this global celebration of reading touched more than 1 million people in 65 countries; some 750 cities held read alouds and other special events.
Stand Up for Girls: Worldwide, 523 million girls and women worldwide cannot read or write. Through this event, Lit World helps “take action on behalf of all the world’s girls so that they can build fierce, fearless futures, lit from within.” Wonderful words! Let’s support these goals as we write on!
*Many thanks to Cathy Trementozzi, KWD reader and World Read Aloud Ambassador, for alerting me to this incredible nonprofit and its marvelous mission.
