Booksource Sponsors 5,000 Reading Minutes for LitClub Children Around the World

We are overjoyed to announce that our longtime World Read Aloud Day partner, Booksource, has generously sponsored 5,000 reading minutes for our LitClub children around the world who are taking the World Read Aloud Day Reading Minutes Challenge.

The WRAD Reading Minutes Challenge asks people of all ages to collect sponsors who will donate money for each minute they read as we count down to WRAD on March 5th.

This is a great way for children to see that they have the power to create real change in the world while building fluency and stamina and falling in love with the magic of story. This challenge is also a great way to look after your reading life while raising money to bring LitClubs and LitCamps to more children around the world who need a safe place to read and share their stories.

Download the WRAD Reading Minutes Challenge packet today and start reading tonight! You can also pledge your support to our LitClub children with a donation to the Reading Minutes Challenge.

LitWorld India Launches in Ahmedabad

LitWorld's Community & Gratitude Cultivator, Leah Reiser, and our Advocacy and US Programming Director, Yaya Yuan, are visiting one of our newest programming sites, Ahmedabad, India. During their trip they will be running trainings and programs (including a LitCamp!). Our programs run in partnership with a local organization, Kadam Education Initiative (KEI). Since we put our expansion to India in motion last fall, we've had many joyous, informative video chat trainings with our new LitClub leaders and we are so thrilled to be meeting face to face. Follow LitWorld on Facebook and Twitter for stories from this trip. Reflections from Leah and Yaya will also be posted on the LitWorld Travel Blog.

This Small Action Can Change the World (and You Can Do It!)

It's simple, it's fun and it changes the world: Read aloud with us.

Spread the word about World Read Aloud Day to friends, family members and on your social networking sites.

Read Aloud with loved ones or new friends and tally your minutes. Find a sponsor to pledge a donation for the number of minutes your read.

Download LitWorld's free activity and event kit and host an event in your community, classroom, workplace or home. Connect with friends near and far to grow the movement worldwide.

Let's Make 2014 the Year of the Child

How can we make 2014 the Year of the Child? In her latest piece for Huff Post Impact, LitWorld's Executive Director, Pam Allyn, explores three different "buckets" of action: self, community, and world.

"This has been a very tough year for children. Recession, wars and natural disasters have impacted children in staggering numbers. More than 16 million children are living in poverty here in the U.S. and over 400 million children live in extreme poverty around the world. To make that incomprehensible number even more devastating, this translates to half of the world's children. In the U.S. alone the number of homeless children has climbed to 1,168,354. To date 11,420 children have died in the Syrian conflict and over one millionmore are living as refugees.

Children are so vulnerable. They have no voting power, no way to advocate for themselves. They are dependent on the adults around them to provide them with safety, food, water, shelter and education. They are dependent upon the whims of politics, the luck or chance of where they happened to born, and to whom. Their wellbeing has little to do with how hard they work, or their "grit" or persistence. It has everything to do with circumstumstance."

Read the full piece on Huff Post Impact.

Every child has the right to read, write and share stories to change the world.

Click to watch LitWorld's one minute holiday video.

Children here in the United States and around the world so want to join the LitWorld Global Literacy Movement. Be the story that makes this possible.

With your help we can bring 10,000 more children into the LitWorld movement in 2014.

Pledge a gift now in honor of a teacher, a parent, a friend, a loved one whose story has changed you. Donate today.

Scholastic Book Fairs Give the Gift of Reading to the Children of LitWorld

We are so excited to be teaming up with Scholastic Book Fairs for a holiday book drive during their annual warehouse sale for teachers and educators. For every book purchased by a shopper for donation, Scholastic will match with an additional book to LitWorld! These books will go directly to our LitClubs in cities across the United States and will be loved and treasured by children, families and community members who would otherwise have limited access to books outside of school.

At LitClubs children come together to enjoy thoughtful read alouds, engage in group discussion, participate in reflective and creative writing, arts and crafts, games, songs and community service projects. Through this dynamic, holistic learning style, LitClubs help children realize the power of their own stories, and the ability that we all have to use and shape our story to change our future and our world.

Thank you Scholastic Book Fairs, and warehouse sale shoppers for promoting and spreading reading acts of kindness this holiday season.

Celebrate #GivingTuesday By Sending a Child to LitCamp!

Today is #GivingTuesday. A day for taking action to spread kindness in a way that feels good and meaningful for you. Our dream today is to fund LitCamp for 500 children. It only takes $34.92 to send a child to LitCamp for one week, and it only takes one week to boost literacy skills while creating everlasting memories founded on the power of story. 

The LitCamp focuses on literacy and storytelling, empowering children by giving them a space to share their story while letting children be children. From Harlem to Kibera, Kenya to Manila, Philippines, many of our campers have never experienced the joy of childhood. They have not had the opportunity to run, to laugh deeply, and to enjoy the warmth of a wonderful story. Something we take for granted is a child’s right to pure fun and joy, but not at the LitCamp. LitCamps mean joy.

To send a child to LitCamp today visit /give.

Every action makes a difference, we would deeply appreciate your help in spreading the word about our #GivingTuesday campaign. Here are sample social media posts to share with friends and family:

It's #GivingTuesday! Help LitWorld send 500 kids to LitCamp. A donation of $34.92 sends a child to camp for 1 week /give

Every kid deserves the joy of camp & the magic of story. It's #GivingTuesday, send a kid to LitCamp today for $34.92 /give

It takes $34.92 to give a child the joy of belonging to a LitCamp. Make a #GivingTuesday act of kindness /give