LitWorld is Founded

After literacy expert Pam Allyn is invited by Ken Okoth to train teachers in Kibera, Kenya, she continues to run trainings for hundreds throughout Kenya, Liberia, and Madagascar and submits paperwork to establish “LitWorld International, Inc” as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

Read more Nov 2007

First LitClub Curriculum

The first LitClub curriculum is written by Pam Allyn and Jennifer Estrada with input from other educators. These programs, originally set to be a 12-week program meeting once a week, provide children with a space for joyful learning, creative self-expression, and community building.

Read more 2009

Building the 7 Strengths

LitWorld establishes its revolutionary 7 Strengths framework (Belonging, Kindness, Curiosity, Friendship, Confidence, Courage, and Hope) with input from pilot LitClub members and other educators. 2010

3 Partnerships

LitWorld is now working with three partner organizations across Kenya, Rwanda, and New York. 2010

Girls LitClubs Begin

Girls LitClubs are piloted at a school in New York City and with the Children of Kibera Foundation in Kibera, Kenya. 2010

First World Read Aloud Day

During a read-aloud, a student asks “Why don’t we create a birthday party for the read aloud?” With that idea, LitWorld launches the first World Read Aloud Day on March 3, 2010 as a way to celebrate the transformational power of reading aloud and to demand literacy rights for all. Today, World Read Aloud Day has grown into a global movement engaging over 90 million readers and writers each year from countries all over the world.

Read more Mar 3, 2010

Boys LitClubs Begin

Starting in February, LitWorld launches several Boys LitClubs at the Polo Grounds Community Center in Harlem, New York City. 2011

Piloting LitCamps

The first LitCamp ideas are piloted with partners in New York City and Kibera, Kenya. 2011

Mom's Clubs Begin

To provide even further support for families and communities, LitWorld begins to pilot Mom’s Clubs with select partners in 2012. These programs combine literacy empowerment and social support with life skills practice and income generation components, including technology training, sewing lessons, and food and nutrition workshops. In the years since, these Mom’s Clubs have grown exponentially and continue to be an essential tool for supporting our LitClub communities.

Read more 2012

The HerStory Campaign

LitWorld launches the HerStory Campaign (originally called The 10,000 Girls Initiative) in partnership with Global GLOW, which supports the expansion of Girls LitClubs and additional programs for girls. 2013

Piloting Scholastic LitCamp

LitWorld presents “LitCamp in a Box” to Scholastic and develops a pilot K-5 LitCamp program. This preliminary program reaches around 150 children. Summer, 2014

LitWorld Launches Story21

LitWorld implements Story21, a bilingual Spanish/English family literacy digital program, in New York City. This program brings families together to read, write, and share their stories by providing innovative tablet technology, skilled educators, and a safe community space to co-create their literate futures together. 2014

LitWorld Teen Advocates

LitWorld hosts the first cohort of LitWorld Teen Advocates, a program inviting young people in high school and early college to learn more about LitWorld’s work and become advocates in their communities. This program forms the basis of the LitWorld Internship program. 2014

36 Partnerships

LitWorld is now working with 36 partner organizations across Kenya, Haiti, the Philippines, Ghana, Uganda, Zambia, India, Nepal, Peru, Afghanistan, Colombia, Jordan, Cambodia, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Uganda, California, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New York, and New Jersey. 2015

Scholastic LitCamp Begins

After the success of the 2014 preliminary pilot, LitWorld officially partners with Scholastic to launch a structured version of LitCamp for summer schools. Designed to accommodate school breaks in our partner communities, LitCamps are flexible enough to be enjoyed any time, anywhere.

Read more Summer, 2015

First HerStory Summit

LitWorld hosts members, mentors, and coordinators from Girls LitClubs for a Global HerStory Summit. Together, they present at the UN Convention on the Status of Women. 2016

45 Partnerships

LitWorld is now working with 45 partner organizations across Kenya, Haiti, the Philippines, Ghana, Uganda, Zambia, India, Nepal, Peru, Afghanistan, Colombia, Jordan, Cambodia, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Cameroon, the Ivory Coast, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Kosovo, Liberia, Nigeria, Georgia, California, Michigan, Mississippi, and New York. 2016

LitCorps Begin

LitWorld launches the LitCorps program geared towards teens and LitClub graduates. This 10 session program aims to build the capacity of young people to be storytellers and changemakers in their communities and to prepare them as future LitClub leaders. 2017

LitCamp for Middle School

LitWorld expands Scholastic LitCamp to include grades 6-8 and creates a “Toolkit” for English learners. 2017

First Sit-Down Gala

LitWorld celebrates 10 years with its first gala, complete with a full sit-down dinner. 2017

LitCamp en Español

LitWorld, LitLife, and Scholastic create Scholastic LitCamp en Español for grades K-6. Summer, 2018

The Heart Map Project

In collaboration with LitWorld resident artist Tina Villadolid and Broadway Housing Communities at the Sugar Hill Project, LitWorld presents "The Heart Map Project": an interactive, public art installation created by the community.

Read more August, 2018

Scholastic LitCamp Reaches 1 Million Kids

Scholastic LitCamp officially reaches 1 million students around the U.S. Summer, 2019

Virtual Programming Begins

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, LitWorld launches new virtual programming including virtual LitClubs and LitCamp at Home. Spring, 2020

The Global Heart Map Project

LitWorld launches the Global Heart Map Project: an invitation for people around the world to come together and celebrate both our similarities and differences. By the end of 2020, hundreds of Heart Maps are sent in, spanning the globe from Kenya to California!

Read more Summer, 2020

Piloting Innovation Partnerships

In 2021, LitWorld pilots two new partnership models: Network Partners and Innovation Partners. Network Partners help scale LitClubs and other LitWorld programming, while Innovation Partners help deepen LitWorld’s impact and explore new ways of creating change in communities through ‘Innovation Projects’. These models help LitWorld find unique solutions tailored to the needs of our partner communities while discovering more ways to enrich young lives—not just for the communities we serve, but for children everywhere. We are excited to continue expanding this work into the future and learn more about what it means to partner internationally.

Read more 2021

The Story Continues!

In 2022, LitWorld is excited to be celebrating 15 incredible years of work—all made possible by our amazing LitKids, partners, and supporters like you. Thank you for being a part of the LitWorld story as we continue to build a brighter future for children and communities everywhere!

Help continue the story! 2022