Worldreader Goes to the 2023 LOC Successful Practices Conference
In October, the Library of Congress (LOC) 2023 Literacy Awards winners and honorees came together for the Successful Practices Conference to share our work. These are some of our takeaways.
This International Literacy Day, Worldreader was honored with the US Library of Congress 2023 Literacy Award – International Prize. Thanks to the support of our community of readers, partners, reading champions, and supporters, we were able to receive this distinction given to celebrate organizations working to expand literacy and promote reading.
The awardees are shown to provide exemplary, innovative, and replicable strategies to tackle illiteracy and the global learning crisis. Since 2013, the Library of Congress has recognized the critical need to achieve literacy worldwide through the program.
“Literacy is a pathway to an individual’s happiness, health, and wellbeing. The Library of Congress is proud to honor and celebrate the achievements of these extraordinary organizations, through the generosity of David M. Rubenstein, in their commitment to expanding literacy around the world.”
– Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress
Working together to get the world reading
Coming together at the Library of Congress for the 2023 Successful Practices Conference, awardees and honorees were recently able to celebrate extraordinary achievements in the fields of literacy and reading. Some of the most prominent organizations and individuals in literacy programming from across the world had the opportunity to discuss key topics like the role of technology in helping parents, caregivers and educators overcome the learning crisis, how to empower girls and women through reading, and the importance of locally-relevant content and programming.
“We are deeply honored to receive this recognition from the Library of Congress. This award is a testament to the relentless efforts of our team, partners, and supporters. Most importantly, it shines a light on the importance of supporting reading in and out of school through scalable solutions in today’s world. With this recognition, we are further encouraged to expand and deepen our impact.”
– Rebecca Chandler Leege, CEO of Worldreader
Families that read together foster a positive learning environment and help improve children’s vocabulary, attention span, and communication from an early age, setting them up for success. With digital solutions that let families share a book anytime, anywhere, and on any device, children can reap the key benefits of early learning long before they enter the classroom, and continue their reading journey when school is out.
Promoting reading for children across the world is key to help younger generations reach their full potential, as young readers often see higher educational rates, increased earning potential, and improved emotional intelligence. When technology is used to make locally-relevant books accessible everywhere, like on BookSmart, children and their caregivers can read without restrictions.
This is especially important for women and girls around the world who might lack access to formal education. In parts of the world like Sub-Saharan Africa, less than a third of women over 15 years old are able to read and write. Gender equity in literacy and early access to reading is critical to ensuring that women and girls can achieve their potential.
Together, we can get children reading around the world. Congratulations to all awardees and honorees that promote reading everywhere.
To learn more about the Library of Congress Literacy Awards and this year’s awardees and honorees, watch this video from the Library 👇
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