Celebrating International Literacy Day

Judith’s Reading Room Celebrates
International Literacy Day

92nd Library to Open in the Kyrgyz Republic; 93rd in Lahore, Pakistan

Bethlehem, Pa. – September 8, 2015. Judith’s Reading Room will celebrate today’s International Literacy Day by packing children’s books at its 63rd Boxing Party, at 5 E. 3rd Street, Bethlehem from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Citizens and volunteers are expected to fill the room in the effort to share literacy around the world.

Boxers will pack children’s books for Nazareth, PA native, Andrew Berry, former Barnes & Noble associate now stationed with the Peace Corps in the Kyrgyz Republic. This will be Judith’s Reading Room’s 92nd library. Tonight’s effort to ship a box of 100 books to Risbek Aidarliev School will help Andrew get his English Club off the ground, where there are 902 students supported by 59 teachers, two of whom are English teachers. “The primary mission for my Peace Corps service is to improve the English levels, of both the students and teachers. I will use these books to organize a reading club for interested students. A book fair in the spring will actively engage students in learning through reading. Students will give presentations about books they receive from Judith’s Reading Room,” said Berry.

Books will be shipped to Judith’s Reading Room libraries in Romania where today English “competitions,” using books provided by the organization are being held in honor of International Literacy Day. The organization’s 93rd library will open in Lahore, Pakistan as a result of books packed tonight. They will be shipped to Alif Laila Book Bus Society, winner of the 2015 Freedom Through Literacy Award.

The 2016 $10,000 Freedom Through Literacy Award application is now available on
line at www.judithsreadingroom.org/2nd-annual-freedom-through-literacy-award/.

2nd Annual Freedom Through Literacy Award

Judith's Reading Room Freedom Through Literacy Award$10,000 To Be Awarded to Individual Champions of Literacy

 

Judith’s Reading Room announced today that applications for its 2nd Annual Freedom Through Literacy Awards are available. To apply, applicants should visit: WWW.JUDITHSREADINGROOM.ORG/FREEDOM-THROUGH-LITERACY-AWARD.  Deadline for submissions is January 26, 2016. Winners will be publicly announced at the Colonial Association of Reading Educators (C.A.R.E’s) Celebrate Literacy Award Dinner on Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at Cedar Crest College, Allentown, PA.

Judith’s Reading Room will award $10,000 in prize money to individual champions of literacy from around the world — educators, librarians, authors, researchers and non-profit literacy organizations — anyone who has done exemplary work to instill in others a love of reading. The Award carries a top prize of $5,000 and up to five $1,000 runner-up awards.

The Freedom Through Literacy Award recognizes literacy projects and/or programs that are innovative, are measurably impactful, can be replicated, go beyond the individual’s “call of duty,” and clearly express the individual’s philosophy about literacy. The inaugural Award attracted 34 Applications from around the world.

The diverse judging panel of 23 local and international individuals has been established. The panel includes teachers, administrators, executives from multiple disciplines, attorneys, and last year’s grand prize winner, Ms. Basarat Kazim, founder of “Alif Laila Book Bus Society’s Mobile Library,” Lahore, Pakistan.

Judith’s Reading Room, a nonprofit literacy organization, was founded in 2010. Its mission is “Freedom Through Literacy.” The organization has dedicated 91 libraries around the world including 123,417 books worth $1,339,570.

Media and other inquiries contact: Cathy Leiber at 484-661-6151 or  awards@judithreadingroom.org.

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