This post was written by James Santos of the Library of Congress.
As the new administrative support assistant for the Literacy Awards Program, I’m seeing firsthand the kinds of amazing work dedicated professionals, educators, and advocates have accomplished to further literacy in the country and across the globe. This work has been funded through the generosity of David M. Rubenstein since 2013, and through the generosity of the Kislak Family Foundation in 2023.
Literacy education is an important and multi-faceted issue, and the work that has been recognized with previous Literacy Awards highlights leaders who face it head on. This year, thanks to the generosity of the Kislak Family Foundation, the program has expanded. But I’m most excited about the Emerging Strategies Honorees Award, and now can honor and reward organizations in their early stages of development that do the crucial work of teaching literacy. For the 2024 Literacy Awards cycle, up to five organizations established within the past five years that show promise in supporting literacy will be awarded $5000 for their accomplishments.
My hope is that the $5000 award will help select organizations make further progress in their work.
The deadline to apply is February 19, 2024 at 11:59PM EDT. We hope you’ll consider applying!
If you have any questions, please email [email protected].
About the Awards
The Library of Congress Literacy Awards Program honors nonprofit organizations that have made outstanding contributions to increasing literacy in the United States or abroad. The awards also encourage the continuing development of successful methods for promoting literacy and the wide dissemination of the most effective practices. They are intended to draw public attention to the importance of literacy, and the need to promote literacy and encourage reading.
Since 2013, the Library of Congress Literacy Awards Program has awarded more than $3 million in prizes to over 180 institutions in 39 countries, thanks to the generosity of philanthropist and Madison Council Chairman David M. Rubenstein. Administered by the Library’s Professional Learning and Outreach Initiatives Office in the Center for Learning, Literacy & Engagement, the awards seek to enable any not-for-profit organization or program to strengthen its involvement in literacy and reading promotion and to encourage collaboration with like-minded organizations.
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Comments (2)
Loudoun Community Press is an educational arts, literacy and publishing organization. Loudoun Community Press provides a number of adolescent and teen arts, literacy, and publishing programs. Each year, our Board of Directors selects a theme and publishing project for young people to produce together for Loudoun County. Loudoun Community Press Cohorts meet weekly and are led by a Student Board of Directors. Together they participate in group activities, lead arts and literacy education programming for partner organizations, and support other program participants, such as the Sterling Community Center’s Black History Month Expo, Loudoun Youth’s Claude Moore Community Builder program, and the Loudoun County Public Library’s Write On Contest. Loudoun Community Press also provides arts outreach programming and community wide education through our Speaker Series.
Thanks for your interest in the Literacy Awards Program. If you’d like to learn more or apply for one of our awards, you can follow this link here: https://www.loc.gov/programs/library-of-congress-literacy-awards/apply/?loclr=blogtea
And if you’d like to ask questions to the Literacy Awards team directly, please reach out to [email protected].