Going back to school is a sacred right that belongs to every child. Help spread the Stand Up for Girls movement as we gear up for the October 11th Day of the Girl. Make a donation to LitWorld to create meaningful learning opportunities for girls around the world. Rally your community with an event and motivate your friends and followers online to #standup4girls alongside you. Watch and share the Stand Up for Girls campaign video and click here for more ideas on how to share the campaign on social media.
Back-to-School Tips From LitWorld's Executive Director Pam Allyn
LitWorld's Executive Director and Chief Storyteller, Pam Allyn, had an exciting week sharing reading and writing tips for back-to-school success. As the Global Ambassador for Scholastic's Read Every Day. Lead a Better Life. campaign, Pam hosted a Facebook chat to share her expert advice with an amazing community of engaged parents, teachers and caregivers. Click here to see a beautiful collection of quotes from this night on the Scholastic Read Every Day. Lead a Better Life. Pinterest board.
On the heels of this wonderful event, Pam and her fellow literacy and Common Core expert, Debbie Lera, delivered a free Pearson webinar on Core Ready writing strategies. If you missed this inspiring talk, Pam and Debbie summarized their insights on the Pearson blog. Click here to read "Teaching Core Ready Writers: Top Ten Tips for Teaching Students to Write Well."
Back to School Means Back to LitClubs WorldWide
The fall season marks the beginning of a new round of LitClub programming. From Kenya to the Philippines to New York to Detroit, children come together once again to sing, to share, to learn, and to grow. Each year we are able to welcome new communities to the LitClub network as well, and this year is no different. As we warmly welcome our returning LitClub members, we are excited to announce a new LitClub in Pakistan, four new LitClubs in Brooklyn, and two new LitClubs in Nepal! We couldn't be more thrilled by the growth of our work, and expansion to more of the communities that need LitClubs the most, with partners who are committed to the dignity of each child.
Our Innovation Hub in Kibera, Kenya run in partnership with the Children of Kibera Foundation, invites schools from the community to spend time after school time reading, writing, creating and exploring the library. The students of the Golden Hearts School read aloud The Magic Book by K.T. Hao and made their own Ellie the Elephant creations!
A Back to School Call to Action: Let's Have Malala Day Every Day
In July 12th, our LitWorld interns had the honor of attending Malala Day at the United Nations to hear Malala Yousafzai address the world for the first time since her attack in October 2012. Pam Allyn and our wonderful intern, Sophie Mortner, have written a call to action using Malala's messages from this day to inspire us all to advocate for the human right of education every day.
"This summer, we hosted a team of interns at the LitWorld headquarters in New York City. They come from colleges and universities around the country, and they spend the summer doing grassroots education rights work on the ground while at the same time connecting with our hubs for innovation around the world.
Sophie Mortner, one of our interns, had the opportunity to attend Malala Day at the United Nations, an experience that impacted her greatly. I share her thoughts here and then five messages from us together on the power of Malala's words to inspire and motivate us all on these, the first days of back-to-school. Yet around the world, at least 61 million children are out of school, and right here in the U.S. many of our poorest children do not have equitable access to a quality education or the resources that would help them create the dreams they really want. Today, let's act on the messages Malala has sent us."
Stand Up for Girls on 10.11.13
523 million girls cannot read or write. Join LitWorld's Stand Up for Girls Campaign to take urgent action. Stand up for the woman or girl who inspires you. Here's how:
1. Make a contribution in her honor. Your donation will spread LitClubs around the world, giving girls everywhere a safe space to come together to tell powerful stories.
2. Put her story on record. Visit http://litworld.org/storybank/ to honor a story.
3. Take a photo with the Stand Up for Girls sign and use it as your profile picture on social media.
4. Spread the word and enlist your friends in the Stand Up for Girls movement. Share your actions on
social media using the hashtag #standup4girls.
5. Stand up at noon on October 11. As you rise, think about the stories that could and should be told in a world that listens for the voices of girls.
American University Names LitWorld as one of Top Ten Innovative NGOs in Education
"Education is one of the most powerful weapons in fighting poverty. However, countries lacking substantial educational infrastructure can face a number of unique problems: rural access, gender inequalities, child labor, and more. These problems required equally unconventional solutions–here’s how ten NGOs are working to solve the education gap."
We are honored to be listed as one of American University's Ten Innovative NGOs in Education. LitWorld is featured alongside nine other organizations that are doing amazing work on-the-ground every day. LitWorld's models are mobile, portable and democratic ways to create a robust reading and writing culture using the power of story.
From Detroit To Manila, Literacy Is A Life Raft To Independence: A Profile of Pam Allyn and LitWorld on Forbes
LitWorld's Founder and Executive Director, Pam Allyn, was interviewed by Forbes as part of a series that amplifies the emerging voices of girls and women who are trying to fix the world's problems by disrupting the status quo with positive actions.
"Humankind’s greatest innovation is the power of story. Stories are mobile, portable and democratic and have the power to transform, uplift and delight. When all girls have the opportunity to learn to read and write and to share their stories, they become active creators of their own lives and mobilized to create monumental change in our world." --Pam Allyn