International Literacy Day
Open Doors: September 2016
International Literacy Day (ILD) shines a spotlight on global literacy needs, which goes hand in hand with the International Literacy Association's mission: literacy for everyone, everywhere. ILA advocates for a literate world, supports literacy educators and leaders, and celebrates the power of literacy. Founded as the International Reading Association, the International Literacy Association (ILA) has worked to enhance literacy instruction through research and professional development for 60 years. Some of its advances made for literacy include:
• Honing the skills of thousands of literacy educators through our practical research journals, publications, professional development, conferences, and advocacy efforts
• Publishing over 900 books on issues in literacy education
• Developing and managing dozens of global literacy projects across the developing world
• Building a community of educators through our network of councils and affiliate groups
• Advocating before legislative and regulatory bodies for resources to enhance students' skills
• Setting standards for educators and assessment that are now used throughout the field
• Co-producing ReadWriteThink -a widely used website resource for peer reviewed lesson plans
As the champion of a vibrant literacy community, we recognize the importance of working together to drive sustainable change and have great expectations for the next 60 years-and beyond.
Together, we are the future of literacy, and the future is now.