Joyce Finds the Joy in LitClub

Joyce Garba is the Partnership Coordinator at Nigeria Reads and YiSHDA, establishing and building a strong working relationship between LitWorld and its Nigerian partners. 

Working with all organizations has created a massive impact all around me, beginning with myself and the members of my beautiful small community. I cannot help but share some of my experiences.

On Thursday, February 16, 2017, we celebrated World Read Aloud Day, one of LitWorld’s advocacy days. We focused on celebrating in schools, inviting kids outside of LitClub to join us as well. All arrangements were in place to celebrate on Thursday morning and everything seemed perfect, but what some of my team members did not know was that I had a visa interview that same morning. The interview was to determine whether or not I was going to participate in-person with other ambassadors around the world in the 2017 Global HerStory Summit. The Global HerStory Summit is one which brings together women and girls from different parts of the world to share their stories and create action plans for challenges they face in their communities. It is a lovely gathering that gives girls and mentors the opportunity to create long lasting friendships and beautiful memories. Oh, lest I forget, it is hosted in New York, a beautiful city that I have heard so much about and anticipated visiting someday, so this summit really meant a lot. Preparations were tough--I did so much research about a visa interview before my first time and on that fateful Thursday I believed I was set. I had failed the first one, in my mind there was no chance I could be denied again.

I stood there confidently before the interviewer, looking him in the face and giving him all the  answers to his questions and after the interview I walked out smiling, feeling bold and powerful.

A few minutes later, I was standing again before the participants of World Read Aloud Day. I found out had failed the interview, but I realized I wasn’t deeply upset by the news. I was standing before beautiful kids, with mind-blowing dreams and promising aspirations for their futures. The smiles on their faces, the answers to the questions asked...it all dawned gradually on me. I did not feel weakened even after I lost the interview again, because at the end it was a win-win situation. I would not be able to attend the summit, but I had these kids everywhere around me. I could make an impact all the time, anywhere, all because LitWorld has these different powerful programs and the joy one feels while engaging in them is indescribable.

Mentoring members from different backgrounds is a fulfilling opportunity, right from that little girl who lost her father at an early age and nurtures her dream to become a doctor and save lives, to that young teenage girl who was forced into marriage. They all still love to come back for LitClub. The programs and weekly meetings give them hope, they wake up every day expecting a better world and working to make it that way.

So who am I to give up, if these young ones can be so strong? Leaving the interview venue and coming down to hold a LitWorld program made me feel powerful. I didn’t have to go home and feel disappointed, I went over to put smiles on the faces of children and it was uplifting. The smiles on their faces, their heart-melting questions and statements make you long to raise children. Life has become more purposeful and all this is because we found LitWorld. Long live LitWorld.

7 Strengths Picks for International Literacy Day 2017

This International Literacy Day, we celebrate the strengths of readers all around the world, and the strengths that stories give us. We believe that literacy is about so much more than decoding, spelling, and composition. Literacy is the tool we use to understand the world around us and create new worlds all our own. Young people can read stories of courage and share their own stories of hope. Books can satisfy our curiosities and guide us towards new questions. Writing a poem can help us find confidence in ourselves, a kind note can be the building block of a friendship. Literacy lets us know we belong.                      

Our 7 Strengths framework goes hand-in-hand with the kind of literacy that changes lives. Check out some of the latest additions to our 7 Strengths Library (courtesy of our interns!) and join us as we honor the transformational power of literacy.                

Belonging: Not Quite Narwhal by Jessie Sima

As Kelp tries to find his true home, he learns that family doesn't have to look like you or act like you--they just have to love you. 

Curiosity: They All Saw A Cat by Brendan Wenzel 

This clever picture book shows the importance of perspective and imagination as a curious cat explores it's surroundings.                                                                                                                                                                                     

Friendship: Together Always by Edwina Wyatt, Illustrated by Lucia Masciullo

Together Always follows best friends Goat and Pig as they find their own way and prove that true friendship can go the distance.

Kindness: We're All Wonders by R.J. Palacio

Based on the memorable characters from her bestselling novel, Wonder, R.J. Palacio teaches us all to always choose kind. 

Confidence: Despite the Height by Ivory Latta and Charles R. Smith, Jr., Illustrated by D.J. Coffman

Despite the Height shares the true story of WNBA all-star Ivory Latta, and teaches kids to preservere through obstacles and believe in themselves to reach new heights.

Courage: Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall

Jabari is almost ready to jump from the diving board, but first needs some encouragement to embrace his fears in order to overcome them.

Hope: The Journey by Francesca Sanna

Through beautiful illustrations and writing, Francesca Sanna captures the challenges, strengths, and dreams of refugees starting a new life in a new land.

UNESCO's International Literacy Day is recognized annually on September 8. Learn more here. 

A New Chapter for Pam, Dorothy and LitWorld

Crissfer's LitClub Letter

Our team recently revisited a thoughtful letter from one of our Boy's LitClub members. Thank you, Crissfer, for sharing your kind words with us! 

Crissfer, Age: 12                                                                                            

6/9/15, Grade: 6th                                  

In my years of Boy's Club (3), I have noticed they always give us reasons to change and opportunities to do so. That's one of the reasons why Boy's and Girl's Club are important to all of us. They give us information about the world. They let us enjoy and express ourselves. They entertain us in several ways. They even let us think about our paths and let us think of our future. I hope (Oh God, I hope) that LitWorld survives the passage of time.

Sincerely,

Crissfer 

P.S. I hope for the futures of my fellow members to be great and honorable. 

A Parting Poem from our LitCorps

This summer, LitCorps interns worked in classrooms throughout New York City to implement LitCamp in partnership with the New York City Department of Education and Scholastic. Our inaugural LitCorps class wrote a poem as a reflection of their time with the kids and as encouragement to future LitCorps members:

From Brooklyn to Rhode Island,
We all come our separate ways.
Our ideas about literacy aligned
Learning new information in a daze.

Commuting with a canvas bag
Full of pencils and post-its,
Vibing on some LitWorld swag
And hoping not to get roasted.

I seriously cannot believe
I spilled coffee on my dress.
These kids are gonna call me out
For looking like a mess.

Sure enough, I get to school
And they point at the stain.
"I know," I sigh and explain,
"I spilled my coffee on the train."

We laugh and then they hug me.
Kids are funny that way:
They'll notice your coffee spill
And always hug you anyway.

They collaborate in twos and threes
They help each other read and write
They dance and freeze for all to see
I wonder if they’ll take a bite

Into the imagination of books
Infinite possibilities for expansion of mind
Full of endless crannies and nooks
It helps the most when they are kind

A constellation of fingers
explode with shooting stars
A stack of folders is piled up
and stuffed with fresh memoirs

We wrestle with blank stares
And lure creativity out their mind
Leaning over empty pages
Asking “who, what, where, when, why?”

That feeling when you plant a question
And watch a forest of raised hands grow
And every kid gives their best shot
Even when there are answers they don’t know

Some teachers may challenge your thoughts
And discourage you from being eager,
But these kids could grow to be astronauts
Or passionate English teachers!

Be flexible, be kind,
Be open to new things.
Take it one day at a time --
You’ll see them spread their wings.

The children may yell and scream,
Their small voices will grow bigger by one another
Until peace seems a distant dream
And all of their words blend together.

But when they stop for a moment,
When the words you read reach their ears,
Stop and listen to the quiet
And then welcome their thoughts, questions, and ideas.

And if they begin again,
Not two minutes after they’ve stopped,
Be patient and count to ten
And remember the moment
When each one was a scholar, and all of them felt on top.

We hope for all to see
Us coming together to form a bond
That will take LitCorps to new places and beyond.

We are so grateful to the LitCorps for what they accomplished in leading students to become confident Super Readers and writers and for their thoughtful reflection on their time in each special classroom.

As a special culminating project, the LitCorps worked on a LitCamp publication -- a digital zine of the experience and outcomes of LitCamp! 

From Our Partners: Phoebe's LitWorld Journey

Phoebe O. Darya, Partnership Coordinator at Milele

LitWorld has been such a transformational journey for me.

As a mother of 3 girls, I know the hardships and struggles that children go through, especially the girl child. I grew up in a family of 5 girls and 2 boys, in the days when the boy child was seen as more valuable than the girl child. In the days when the girl child was to do all the house chores and not the boy child. In the days when the girl child had to forgo education to pave way for the boy child to learn. In the days when the girl child was to be seen and not to be heard.

Sadly, some of those views are still present in Kenya. In 2013, when I began working with LitWorld, I managed to come up with a work plan on how I could empower girls in the Kisumu region. The empowerment had to start with my own girls.  I spoke to my 3 girls on the importance of speaking out, then I started using the techniques I was using in my house to better my work in the office. I strengthened the Girls LitClubs that I had founded in the area, and the girls told me so many stories. The stories I heard grew from extremely difficult circumstances.

At this time, I could talk to Madison and Dorothy, who were my point persons on the LitWorld team. They listened and understood my feelings. They started teaching me about the 7 Strengths and how I could first apply them to myself. I discovered that I needed to apply the 7 Strengths in my everyday life to be able to implement them on the ground.

I started to do so through the many partnerships I formed. I started working closely with the Police Gender Desk, the Children’s Department, and the County Education Offices. I began involving these three sectors in the major LitWorld events such as WRAD, LitCamps, and Stand Up for Girls, sharing the 7 Strengths throughout.

I reached a major milestone in 2016 when I started working with Milele and had the opportunity to fully commit to running LitClubs in the Kisumu region. So far I have managed to initiate 10 LitClubs-- 7 Girls Clubs, 1 Boys Club, 1 Teens Club and 1 Mom’s Club. The methodology used in encompassing all these clubs is simple: the family unit. If I am able to facilitate mothers to use LitWorld as a foundation for storytelling with their children, then the community will be filled with many stories to tell.

In the Boys Club, the boy child is introduced to the 7 Strengths first for self-empowerment, then secondly, we combine the 7 Strengths and their growth in the community by teaching them the traits of being a good mannered boy in a community where girls can be pushed to the margins. We empower them to stand up for their sisters and mothers.

These boys are getting to know the importance of education to both the girl and boy child, and true friendship is cultivated amongst them and the girls at a very tender age. Above all, we teach them the power of storytelling and the importance of implementing the 7 Strengths in their day-to-day activities.

During my work at LitWorld Kisumu, I have faced many challenges ranging from the language barrier (my first language is English and my second is Swahili--I  run the LitClubs in an area where the native language is Dholuo) to transportation issues to the trauma some of the children have endured. This has pushed me to work hard to fight for them, develop trust with the families, and form a good working relationship with the schools and county government of Kisumu.

I foresee LitWorld having a safe space in every school within Kisumu County within the next 5 years. I dream of the days that we shall be able to incorporate the 7 Strengths Curriculum within the Kenyan school curriculum. I see the days when many women and mothers in Kisumu will be literate due to the advocacy skills LitWorld is imparting in the hearts of the children.

It has been a journey, a long journey but one that I never regret having taken. Thank you LitWorld for creating a platform for everyone, especially women and girls, to tell their stories.

News 12 Visits LitCamp at The Hebrew Home at Riverdale

There is a very special LitCamp happening this week at The Hebrew Home at Riverdale, a nonprofit nursing home in the Bronx. On Tuesday, the campers had the chance to interview residents with questions they created like, "What is the funniest joke you know?" and "What is your favorite meal?" Old and young came together for this meaningful interaction! 

25 kids with our partners at Broadway Housing Communities in Harlem are attending this special one-week LitCamp in partnership with Hebrew Home at Riverdale. Kids and residents are participating in this intergenerational interview project that will culminate in a collaborative "Story Tree" art installation to display the answers to the interview questions.

LitWorld is happy to partner with the Hebrew Home and Broadway Housing Communities to bring joyful learning and intergenerational experiences to residents and campers. This innovative approach to summer learning builds off of LitWorld’s signature LitCamp program to prevent the “summer slide”--a fallback in students’ academic achievement over the summer break.

Learn more about LitCamps happening across the country and all over the world in our recent post, "Reinventing Summer School with LitCamp."