2018 Library of Congress Literacy Awards :: RIF :: East Side Community School :: IPPLIAP

Library Announces Winners of 2018 Literacy Awards

News from the Library of Congress: 8.31.2018

Three organizations working to expand literacy and promote reading in the United States and worldwide were awarded the 2018 Library of Congress Literacy Awards at the National Book Festival gala, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced tonight.

Hayden and philanthropist David M. Rubenstein awarded the top prizes to: Reading Is Fundamental of Washington, D.C.; East Side Community School of New York City; and Instituto Pedagógico para Problemas del Lenguaje of Mexico City.

The Literacy Awards, originated by Rubenstein in 2013, honor organizations doing exemplary, innovative and replicable work, and they spotlight the need for the global community to unite in working for universal literacy.

Prizes and Recipients

David M. Rubenstein Prize ($150,000)

@RIFWEB

Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) works to create a literate America by inspiring a passion for reading among all children, by providing quality content and engaging communities in the solution to give every child the fundamentals for success. Founded in 1966, RIF is a national nonprofit focused on children’s literacy and, in partnership with a grassroots network of volunteers in schools and communities nationwide, has distributed more than 415 million books and affected the lives of more than 40 million children.

American Prize ($50,000)

@MarkEastSide

East Side Community School is a 6-12th-grade Title I public school in New York City. During a time when the national focus on high-stakes standardized tests has caused many schools to focus on test prep and quick fixes that may affect students’ interest in reading, East Side has responded differently by creating and sustaining an independent reading program where students read on average over 40 books each year, improve literacy skills, address their social-emotional and political needs through literature, and fall in love with reading.

International Prize ($50,000)

@ IppliapOficial

Instituto Pedagógico para Problemas del Lenguaje (IPPLIAP) is a nonprofit organization founded 50 years ago that is dedicated to supporting deaf children and children with language and learning disabilities, primarily from impoverished families, through educational programs and after-school support.

The Library of Congress Literacy Awards program also is honoring 15 organizations for their implementation of best practices in literacy promotion. These organizations are:

America SCORES, New York City

Fundación A Mano Manaba, Jama, Ecuador

Learning Ally, Princeton, New Jersey

Mango Tree Literacy Lab, Lira, Uganda

Minnesota Literacy Council, St. Paul, Minnesota

Philadelphia Office of Adult Education, Philadelphia

Project Read, Provo, Utah

ProLiteracy Worldwide, Syracuse, New York

Reach Education, Inc., Washington, D.C.

Resources for the Blind, Quezon City, Philippines

Sesame Workshop India Trust, New Delhi, India

Transformemos Fundación Para El Desarrollo Social, Cundinamarca, Colombia

Umuhuza, Kigali, Rwanda

Visual Language and Visual Learning (VL2), Washington, D.C.

World Possible, Irvine, California

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