International Literacy Association Unveils Inaugural 30 Under 30 List

NEWARK, Del., Sept. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Literacy Association (ILA), a global advocacy and membership organization dedicated to advancing literacy for all, announced today the honorees named to its inaugural 30 Under 30 list. The list recognizes the next generation of young innovators, advocates and educators who are leading efforts to address the challenges of today's evolving education landscape and make a difference in the global literacy landscape.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150831/262431LOGO

"I'm thrilled to unveil our first 30 Under 30 list of young individuals who are tirelessly working to impact the future of global literacy advancement," said Marcie Craig Post, executive director, International Literacy Association. "Today, an astounding 12 percent of the global population is unable to read or write. These 30 young education champions are developing new, creative strategies to close the literacy gap and, in the process, are transforming lives in their communities and around the world."

ILA's 30 Under 30 list highlights young trailblazers from 13 countries and several different sectors and includes nonprofit leaders, classroom teachers, authors, volunteers, researchers, technology startup founders and entrepreneurs. Each honoree has created and implemented an initiative that has directly improved the quality of literacy instruction or that increased access to literacy tools in the classroom, community and/or online.

ILA's inaugural 30 Under 30 list includes:

• Oluwaseun "Seun" AINA, 27, Founder/CEO, Magical Books, Nigeria
• Jennifer ALBRO, 29, Founder/President, Pages & Chapters, Washington, DC
• Louise BAIGELMAN, 28, Executive Director, Story Share, New York
• Nic BORG, 27, Cofounder, Edmodo, California
• Jimmy BORGELLA, 27, Founder/President, VIE Jeunes, Haiti
• Marique DAUGHERTY, 21, Language and Literacy Specialist, Jamaica
• Ana DODSON, 23, Founder, Peruvian Hearts, Peru/Colorado
• Katie EDER, 15, Founder, Kids Tales, Wisconsin
• Kevin ENGLISH, 25, English Teacher, Wayne Memorial High School, Michigan
• Jennifer ESTRADA, 28, Director, HerStory Initiative, a collaboration of LitWorld and Global G.L.O.W., New York
• Benjamin FREEMAN, 25, Founder/Executive Director, Liberia Institute for the Promotion of Academic Excellence (LIPACE), Liberia
• Alejandro GAC-ARTIGAS, 26, Founder/CEO, Springboard Collaborative, Pennsylvania
• Ines GUILLORME, 25, English Teacher, Decroly School, Spain
• Sudhanshu "Sudhi" KAUSHIK, 20, Founder/CEO, Equality Initiative; Editor-in-Chief, The Maverick, New York
• Amy MERRILL, 27, Third-Grade Teacher, East Dale Elementary, West Virginia
• Emma MOGUS, 16, Cofounder, Books With No Bounds, Canada
• Julia MOGUS, 18, Cofounder, Books With No Bounds, Canada
• Amanda NELMS, 29, English Language Development Specialist, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Tennessee
• Madison PAYTON, 29, English Teacher, Eagle Academy for Young Men II, New York
• Christina RICHARD, 24, Special Education Teacher, New York City Public School 8, New York
• Shiza SHAHID, 26, Cofounder, Malala Fund, New York
• Bhawana SHRESTHA, 25, English Teacher, Jyotidaya Cooperative School, Nepal
• Meagan STASS, 28, Seventh-Grade Math Teacher and Team Leader, Barrington Middle School-Prairie, Illinois
• Andrew SUTHERLAND, 24, Founder/CTO, Quizlet, California
• Selassie TAY, 29, Founder/Executive Director, Tongu Youth Agenda for Development, Ghana
• Dylan TEUT, 26, Director, Plum Creek Children's Literacy Festival, Nebraska
• Ryan TRAYNOR, 16, Founder, Redwood City Public Library Youth Literacy Council, California
• Jon M. WARGO, 29, PhD candidate, Michigan State University, Michigan
• James WHELTON, 23, Cofounder, CoderDojo; Founder, CoderDojo Foundation, Ireland
• Sandy WOOD, 24, English Teacher, Jhamtse Gatsal Children's Community, India

The list's announcement precedes International Literacy Day on September 8, a global celebration of the importance of literacy for all individuals, communities and societies.

ILA's 30 Under 30 honorees are featured in the September/October issue of Literacy Today, ILA's bi-monthly magazine, which published today. The honorees will be invited to participate in upcoming global literacy community activities that support the shared cause of advancing literacy for all.  To view the Literacy Today feature, visit literacyworldwide.org/30under30.

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL LITERACY ASSOCIATION

The International Literacy Association (ILA), formerly the International Reading Association, is a global advocacy and membership organization dedicated to advancing literacy for all through its network of more than 300,000 literacy educators, researchers and experts across 75 countries. With 60 years of experience in the field, ILA believes in the transformative power of literacy to create more successful societies, healthy communities and prosperous economies. ILA collaborates with partners across the world to develop, gather and disseminate high-quality resources, best practices and cutting-edge research to empower educators, inspire students and inform policymakers. The International Literacy Association publishes several peer-reviewed journals, including The Reading Teacher, Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy and Reading Research Quarterly. For more information, visit literacyworldwide.org.

Media Contact: For all media inquiries, including photos of 30 Under 30 honorees, please contact [email protected].

SOURCE International Literacy Association

Related Links

http://www.literacyworldwide.org