2015 Literacy Leadership Awards : : National Coalition for Literacy

2015 Literacy Leadership Awards

The National Coalition for Literacy

May 14, 2015

5:30 PM to 7:30 PM

Washington, DC

The National Coalition for Literacy (NCL) Literacy Leadership Awards Event recognizes individuals and/or organizations that have made extraordinary national contributions to improving adult literacy and English language learning in the United States. Past awardees have included corporations, foundations, members of Congress, and adult literacy professionals. Light h'ors douerves and drinks will be served.

This year, the NCL will recognize the following outstanding individuals and organizations:

Representative Phil Roe (TN). Dr. Phil Roe is the U.S. Representative for Tennessee's 1st congressional district, serving since 2009. He has been a strong advocate for strengthening adult education and is the founding member and Republican co-chair of the House Adult Literacy Caucus.

Mayor Michael Nutter. In 2011, Mayor Nutter stated tackling the city’s adult literacy problem would be a priority for his administration. He made a $1 million investment in city adult literacy programs and reinstituted the Philadelphia Mayor’s Commission on Literacy, and tasked it with creating an online referral system that will allow real-time matching of adult learners to classes, tutors, testing and instruction, and to supplement face-to-face learning with opportunities for online learning and practice. That system, called myPLACE™, has served over 5000 adult learners to date.

Kavitha Cardoza. Ms. Cardoza is a Special Correspondent for WAMU and reports on D.C. area news, with a special focus on children, education and poverty. She has won numerous awards for her work including the regional Edward R. Murrow Award for Hard News in 2012. In 2013 she wrote and produced a four-part NPR series that highlighted the current adult literacy crisis facing communities across the country. This series provided some of the most in-depth coverage of this issue in the national media in recent memory.

Mary Jane Schmitt and Adult Numeracy Network (ANN). In 1994 Mary Jane Schmitt co-founded the Adult Numeracy Network which has been the leading voice advocating and providing PD for improved adult numeracy instruction. She also founded and directed the Adult Numeracy Center at TERC—a constellation of projects contributing to innovative research and development in adult mathematics education. Ms. Schmidt passed away earlier this year, and a representative from ANN will accept the award on her behalf.

The NCL Literacy Leadership Awards are made possible through the generous support of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation.

About the National Coalition for Literacy

The National Coalition for Literacy (NCL) is a coalition of the leading national and regional organizations dedicated to advancing adult education, family literacy, and English language acquisition in the U.S. NCL helps advocates, policymakers, and others who care about adult literacy make a positive difference advocating for adult education and family literacy.