Share the love of literacy by getting involved with organizations that promote it.
Litearcy is power. It lets us learn, lets us connect, it lets us communicate. To be illiterate or poorly literate is to be at a horrible disadvantage. If you’ve ever seen the impact of illiteracy or poor literacy on people’s lives, you know how awful it can be. If you’ve not simply imagine your life if you couldn’t read.
If you want to help promote literacy – which fits we pro-literature geeks – there’s a variety of literacy initiatives you can get involved in.
- Personally, you can teach and instruct people.
- You can get your friends, your gaming group, our club involved in literacy programs – more people, more power.
- You can raise money through your convention, event, or drives for litearcy programs.
Nothing is more geeky than literacy, so why not help promote it.
There’s also an enormous amount of pro-literacy groups to get involved in. There’s something for every geekery, every inclination, and every location.
Best of all, imagine combining this with other pro-reading initiatives . . .
Resources
There’s a large amount of literacy programs, from global initiatives to local towns and cities. Here’s just a few places to get involved in or take inspiration from. This list could be (and may become) much larger.
- Alaska Literacy Program – An Alaska-based literacy charity with an emphasis on training and certifying teachers and tutors to impart reading, writing, and speaking skills.
- Behind The Book – New York Based organization that focuses on literacy programs and access to authors for underserved schools.
- Believe In Books – Supports literacy programs, scholarships, grants, and book distributions in northern New Hampshire and western Mane.
- Book Ends – A nonprofit focusing on empowering children through literacy and a focus on leadership in communities.
- Bring Me A Book – Serving underserved communities with portable libraries, teaching read-aloud skills, and more.
- Family Reading Partners – A coalition of people and organizations that promotes literacy via family reading practices.
- Florida Literacy Coalition – Florida-focused group that supports adult education, adult literacy, and family literacy throughout the state. Many opportunities to get involved
- International Book Project – Uses sustainable programs and partnerships to combat illiteracy on a global scale – with the goal of ending it.
- Literacy Kansas City – A Kansas community-based literacy effort that uses research to ensure their programs are maximally effective.
- LitWorld – A global nonprofit that does on-the-ground solutions to address literacy.
- Lullalee – Lullalee promotes reading, literacy, and social change, including the use of e-learning and technology.
- Might Writers – A Philadelphia organization that supports writing and literacy by providing free classes and teaching.
- ProLiteracy – Focuses in safe, strong, sustainable socieities by building literacy around the globe with a variety of initiatives.
- Raising Readers in Wyoming – A wyoming-based organization that provides children with books, and parents with ‘prescriptions’ for reading, to promote literacy.
- Reach Out And Read – A nonprofit organization of medical providers who promote literacy and school readiness in pediatric care with parental advice.
- Read Indeed – A nonprofit literacy organization, inspired by Maria Keller, that collects and distributes books to children.
- Reading Is Fundamental – The largest children’s literacy nonprofit in the United States, working with kids, parents, and community to bring the benefits of reading to children.
- Reading Partners – Promotes literacy via one-on-one coaching and a structured curriculum
- Room To Read – Focuses on literacy and gender equality around the world, working with local communities and governments.
- Stan Lee Foundation – An organization that builds alliances among various groups to promote literacy.
- The Reading Tub – A volunteer-run nonprofit promitng family literacy.
- Tracy and Clerenda McGrady Foundation – Founded by the NBA All-Star and his wife, the foundation focuses on multiple, world-wide literacy projects.