The Literacy Lab

This #GivingTuesday, celebrate the power of educators and leaders like Torren L. Cooper, The Literacy Lab’s 2024-25 National Educational Ambassador. As a teacher, preacher, and scholar-activist, Torren champions equity and diversity in education, inspiring the next generation. Check out this video as Torren shares the impact of your donations and support of the Leading Men Fellowship! #LeadingMenFellowship #LiteracyMatters #BlackEducators #TheLiteracyLab #GivingTuesday2024

Black men only make up 1.3% of the teaching workforce nationwide. In the latest Educating to Be Human episode, Lisa welcomes Julius Cave from our Leading Men Fellowship Atlanta cohort. With LMF, Julius seeks to address this stark disparity in representation, diversifying the educator pipeline and transforming the classroom experience for students in historically marginalized communities. The Fellows themselves, young men of color between the ages of 18 and 24, gain invaluable experience and leadership skills as they become role models in the Pre-K classroom. This initiative promises to not only reshape classrooms, but also drive lasting change in the communities it serves. This conversation is part of Educating to Be Human's third arc, focusing on our capacity for change and adaptation. In this episode, they explore the effort to evolve the landscape of education, to drive progress and foster resilience in education, communities and beyond. Tune in wherever you listen to podcasts or simply visit https://hubs.li/Q02Zzm480. Remember to rate, review, and share the show so we can collectively build a community that believes that educating to be human isn’t a radical idea, but rather something that we can (and will) work towards together! Caption credit: Educating to Be Human #ChildrensLiteracy #TheLiteracyLab #LeadingMenFellowship #maleeducatorsofcolor #answerthecall #prekeducation #prek #atlanta #washingtondc #podcast #podcaster #podcasters

We're just ONE WEEK away from Giving Tuesday 2024! There are several ways that you can help support our mission to create a society where all students have the literacy services needed to unlock educational opportunities and success in life: ??Donate to The Literacy Lab: https://hubs.li/Q02XJftS0 ??Share our Giving Tuesday posts on social media ??Purchase merch from our flagship program, the Leading Men Fellowship: https://lnkd.in/ePbwzaQm ??Have fun by sharing one of your favorite books with a child in your life! #GivingTuesday2024 #GivingTuesday #ChildrensLiteracy #TheLiteracyLab

Exciting News! Mark your calendars for December 7th! Our Leading Men Fellowship program will be featured on Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien, a weekly news magazine that dives into the political and socio-economic issues shaping America. The segment will highlight Jamari Scott, a Leading Men Fellow at Benteen Elementary School in Atlanta, GA, along with Literacy Lab program staff. Together, they’ll discuss the critical need to diversify the nation’s teacher pipeline with more men of color. Don’t miss this inspiring story! Check your local listings to catch Matter of Fact in your area. #LeadingMenFellowship #Atlanta #RepresentationMatters #SoledadOBrien #Georgia #TheLiteracyLab #Education

Giving Tuesday is soon approaching and we have a special message from our Board Chair, Donald E. Walther: "At The Literacy Lab, we believe in more than teaching literacy. We’re building a movement - one where all children see themselves reflected in their education, and where students don’t just dream of success but have the tools to achieve it. Imagine the impact: a child looks up in class and sees a teacher who looks like them. A teacher who shares their culture, their language, and their experiences. This is the heart of the Leading Men Fellowship - empowering young men of color, ages 18-24, to serve as both educators and role models in preschool classrooms. These Fellows are not just teachers; they’re pathways to possibility, opening doors to brighter futures. Over 50% of all Leading Men alumni continue to build their impact in education by becoming teachers, paraprofessionals, and college students majoring in education, showcasing the Fellowship’s profound ability to shape future educators. Your support directly empowers these young men to break barriers, inspire the next generation, and create lasting change in classrooms and communities across the country." The Literacy Lab asks that you join us in this work! Your support helps us to continue building a movement for justice and opportunity - one child, one classroom, one Fellow at a time. Together, we can transform lives and futures by helping even more Fellows answer the call. #Literacy #GivingTuesday #Baltimore #Atlanta #Cincinnati #Milwaukee #DC

According to the U.S. Department of Education, there is a literacy gap with Black children, Hispanic children, and children from lower-income households “entering kindergarten with substantially lower reading skills than do their White and higher-income peers”. Experts also site that households with little or no books at home are associated with literacy levels below 50%. However, there are organizations across America working hard to bridge the literacy gap and bring more books into the homes of underserved groups. ?? The 100 Book Campaign: https://lnkd.in/e2n4SXN4 ??Barbershop Books: https://hubs.li/Q02YC1jq0 ??Laudromat Library League: https://lnkd.in/eBR_QCF8 ??Books on Break: https://lnkd.in/eic3Fh48 Be sure to check out these organizations for ways that you can help close the literacy gap! #Baltimore #NewYork #Literacy #ChildrensLiteracy #TheLiteracyLab #NorthCarolina #Pennsylvania

Last Thursday, our Leading Men Fellows cohort in Cincinnati had an amazing experience at Central State University for the 3rd Annual Striving for Educational Excellence Conference! From a warm welcome by CSU President Dr. Kuti to inspiring speakers and a heartfelt student panel, our fellows were reminded that they matter. The fellows had the opportunity to explore CSU’s Education Department and experience the family vibe that HBCUs are known for, enjoying lunch in the cafeteria alongside students. Meaningful connections were made, campus culture was celebrated, and the bond to HBCU traditions grew stronger. Thank you to Central State University for hosting us! #HigherEducation #HBCU #CentralStateUniversity #Ohio #Cincinnati #LMF

Attention Literacy Champions! Giving Tuesday is just TWO WEEKS away, and we’re calling on you to help create a brighter future through the power of generosity. At The Literacy Lab, we believe literacy is a fundamental human right. We work to ensure every child has access to the literacy support they need to unlock educational opportunities and lifelong success. With your help, we can continue to close the literacy gap by providing full-time tutoring for children from age 3 through grade three in partnership with school districts nationwide. Here’s how you can support our mission this Giving Tuesday: ? Donate to The Literacy Lab: https://hubs.li/Q02XXYD20 ? Share this post and spread the word on social media! ? Shop merch from our Leading Men Fellowship: https://lnkd.in/ePbwzaQm ? Share a favorite book with a child you love to inspire their love for reading! Together, let’s make literacy accessible to every child! ?? #GivingTuesday2024 #GivingTuesday #ChildrensLiteracy #TheLiteracyLab

?? Exciting literacy news for North Carolina! ?? Wake Forest University recently launched the Center for Literacy Education “to explore how literacy education can strengthen individuals and communities through teaching, research, creative activities, and programming.” This initiative is funded by the provost’s office and provides mini-grants to Wake Forest staff, faculty, and students for “literacy-related activities, including community-facing programming.” Alan Brown, director of the Center for Literacy Education and associate professor of education had this to say about Wake Forest’s latest literacy initiative: “Literacy affects all aspects of how we live and learn. From health literacy to historical and civic literacy to stem and environmental literacy, I think there are a lot of possibilities for all sorts of collaborations across the university. It’s about creating space for conversation around what the interests are at Wake Forest and how we might support one another to do this work.” Full article: https://lnkd.in/e7CbE3JW Center For Literacy Education: https://hubs.li/Q02XPLrq0 #NorthCarolina #ChildrensLiteracy #TheLiteracyLab #WakeForestUniversity

?Author Spotlight!? Sidney Keys III is the author of "Books n Bros: 44 Inspiring Books for Black Boys". The St. Louis native is not only an author, but an advocate for African American literacy and a rising entrepreneur! According to Bookshop, "Books n Bros" is "part biography of an entrepreneurial teen, part anthology of book reviews, and 100% self-improvement guide! Beautifully illustrated, the cover art and content will inspire generations of young men to come." Are you looking to expose the children in your life to diverse stories? Look no further! This book would be a great addition to a classroom or home library. You can purchase a special autographed copy of "Books n Bros" at https://lnkd.in/exTsHfa3 or by supporting independent bookstores at Bookshop: https://lnkd.in/eJDp_4KJ #BlackAuthors #BlackExcellence #ChildrensLiteracy #Missouri #StLouis #Literacy