International Literacy Day
Celebrate International Literacy Day September 8, 2008
http://www.reading.org/association/meetings/literacy_day.html
International Literacy Day, observed annually on September 8, focuses attention on worldwide literacy needs. More than 780 million of the world’s adults
(nearly two-thirds of whom are women) do not know how to read or write, and between 94 and 115 million children lack access to education.
The centerpiece of each year’s international observance of International Literacy Day is the awarding of five
UNESCO literacy prizes
, which honor outstanding local, regional, or national literacy programs. Literacy projects in Brazil, Zambia, South Africa, Ethiopia, and Morocco are the
2008 winners.
UNESCO-IRA literacy prize
The IRA-sponsored
UNESCO International Reading Association Literacy Prize
has been presented each year since 1979 by UNESCO on International Literacy Day. This year’s theme is literacy and health. The recipient of the 2008 $20,000
prize is Brazil’s Curitiba City Council’s Alphbetizando com saude program. The program teaches literacy to caregivers and adults (including the elderly)
in order to reduce infant mortality, improve general health, and promote literacy as a prerequisite for health education and disease control. Honorable
Mention prize goes to Morocco’s Reading Access for the Visually Impaired in Marrakech for its work with the blind and visually impaired.
on Monday, September 8, 2008 at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Public Library. Author Sharon Draper, former National Teacher of the Year, is the
special guest.
The theme of this year’s celebration is
Reading Across Continents-Connecting Students and Teachers around the World via Technology and Literature
http://www.readingacrosscontinents.com/
. This project unites Washington, DC, Nigerian, and Ghanaian students through the sharing of novels: Copper Sun (penetrating story of the slave trade) by
Draper and Purple Hibiscus (heartfelt story of growing up in Nigeria’s political tumult) by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Students and teachers
in both countries will share thoughts on their own lives, beliefs, and insights. Students will use a variety of tools to communicate, including live feeds,
author visits, student/teacher exchanges, blogs, and email. For more details see
http://www.reading.org/association/meetings/literacy_day.html
International Literacy Day, observed annually on September 8, focuses attention on worldwide literacy needs. More than 780 million of the world’s adults
(nearly two-thirds of whom are women) do not know how to read or write, and between 94 and 115 million children lack access to education.
The centerpiece of each year’s international observance of International Literacy Day is the awarding of five
UNESCO literacy prizes
, which honor outstanding local, regional, or national literacy programs. Literacy projects in Brazil, Zambia, South Africa, Ethiopia, and Morocco are the
2008 winners.
UNESCO-IRA literacy prize
The IRA-sponsored
UNESCO International Reading Association Literacy Prize
has been presented each year since 1979 by UNESCO on International Literacy Day. This year’s theme is literacy and health. The recipient of the 2008 $20,000
prize is Brazil’s Curitiba City Council’s Alphbetizando com saude program. The program teaches literacy to caregivers and adults (including the elderly)
in order to reduce infant mortality, improve general health, and promote literacy as a prerequisite for health education and disease control. Honorable
Mention prize goes to Morocco’s Reading Access for the Visually Impaired in Marrakech for its work with the blind and visually impaired.
on Monday, September 8, 2008 at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Public Library. Author Sharon Draper, former National Teacher of the Year, is the
special guest.
The theme of this year’s celebration is
Reading Across Continents-Connecting Students and Teachers around the World via Technology and Literature
http://www.readingacrosscontinents.com/
. This project unites Washington, DC, Nigerian, and Ghanaian students through the sharing of novels: Copper Sun (penetrating story of the slave trade) by
Draper and Purple Hibiscus (heartfelt story of growing up in Nigeria’s political tumult) by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Students and teachers
in both countries will share thoughts on their own lives, beliefs, and insights. Students will use a variety of tools to communicate, including live feeds,
author visits, student/teacher exchanges, blogs, and email. For more details see