When Help is Needed, LitWorld is There.
On April 24th, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake devastated communities across Nepal. No LitClub members were badly injured, but many of their homes and schools were destroyed. The power of the LitClub is that it is portable and mobile so that it is there when the girls need it most and can fill in during out of school time. With our local partner the Rukmini Foundation and our LitWorld and GlobalGirls leaders on the ground, we are working to deepen our support in Nepal. We will continue to run LitClubs, bringing girls together in tent camps and temporary schools made of bamboo to recover joy through reading and writing experiences and by sharing their stories. Our LitWorld Photographer & Liaison, Monet Eliastam, is in Nepal visiting our LitClub girls and collecting stories from earthquake survivors. She is witnessing firsthand the resilience of our LitClub girls as well as helping us to increase access to LitWorld programs during this difficult time.
Confidence, Kindness, Curiosity, and More!
Last month, we brought nine Girls LitClubs from the Detroit public schools together to celebrate their own stories. Story Summits are an innovation of the 10,000 Global Girls Initiative, which expands and deepens our LitClub and LitCamp programs for girls around the world through mentorship, creative expression and storytelling. Together with our partner GlobalGirls, we stand fiercely and staunchly committed to giving every girl a safe environment of learning and mentoring that will ensure she can launch her deepest dreams. See more photos of our Detroit Story Summit here.
A Family Literacy Culture in Action.
Thanks to the continued support and generosity of the Harman Family Foundation, our intergenerational Story21 Family LitClub program thrives in Harlem. The program combines the power of quality books, family storytelling and creative apps for iPads to create a strong community for family literacy. This summer we are launching a very exciting weekly texting initiative to extend our support to LitClub parents and caregivers at home. Families receive three texts a week, including action steps and “extension” activities to stretch and grow their literacy routines.