Celebrate International Literacy Day by Bringing Literacy to San Diego Students and Families!

by: Alyssa Broda, Words Alive Engagement Director

Mateo with his copy of Rita and Ralph’s Rotten Day, and his flower crown craft.

International Literacy Day is this Thursday, September 8 and Words Alive will be celebrating by gearing up to bring the power of reading to over 5,000 students this upcoming school year. It is more important than ever that our San Diego community comes together to ensure all children have access to the enrichment that comes with being a reader. You have the power to make that happen, and there is no better day to support reading than International Literacy Day.

Here is how you can support literacy in San Diego to celebrate:

Join us at the Words Alive office to pack learning kits on Thursday, September 8 at 3:00pm. To celebrate International Day of Literacy, we will be gearing up for our fall programming by assembling learning kits that will be used in our Read Aloud Program, Family Literacy Program and Adolescent Book Group starting October 3. These learning kits include new books, school supplies and a craft or activity thematically tied to the text that our students are able to keep, deepening their connection to reading. Sign up at this link!

Volunteers pack learning kits at the Words Alive office.

Support our mission by donating to Words Alive through San Diego Gives. On Thursday, September 8, the San Diego community is celebrating San Diego Gives, a 24-hour online event to support local nonprofits. Our goal of $1,000 would provide one classroom of students three brand new books. You can donate via credit card, PayPal, Venmo and your donor advised fund. Your generosity would give access to books that reflect the life experiences of the students we serve and shed light on new possibilities, expanding their worlds. You can give early at this link!

Sign up for other volunteer opportunities to support literacy throughout the year. If you are looking to commit to the mission of literacy beyond September 8, we have openings in all three of our programs for in-classroom volunteers. As we return to in-person programming, you can serve as a volunteer facilitator leading consistent sessions at our partner schools. If you are interested, you can sign up to attend one of our volunteer orientations. Our fall programming begins October 3!

Thank you for joining Words Alive in our mission to connect children, teens, and families to the power of reading on this upcoming International Literacy Day. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Engagement Director, Alyssa Broda, at [email protected].

Anonymous Donor Contributes $150,000 to Words Alive

SAN DIEGO, California (January 21, 2021) – San Diego nonprofit Words Alive has received a $150,000 donation from an anonymous philanthropist to support efforts to connect children, teens, and families to the power of reading.

Words Alive Executive Director Rachael Orose says funds will support Words Alive’s ongoing response to the devastating educational impacts on the children, teens, and families stemming from the pandemic.

“As everything closed last March, we pivoted to a virtual platform for our programs because we knew the power of reading could help families cope with all of the changes resulting from the pandemic. I am humbled by the outpouring of support from the San Diego community that has allowed us to sustain this life-changing work, and am struck speechless by this incredibly generous gift,” said Orose.

At the start of the pandemic, Words Alive transitioned two decades of proven classroom-based literacy programming to be delivered remotely while schools remain closed.  Mobilizing more than 1,000 global volunteers, the organization has empowered tens of thousands of educators and parents with virtual content to use the power of reading and writing to help families contend with the pandemic. In addition to supporting teachers, the organization has given away more than 20,000 books and educational resources, and their free, online content for children and teens has been accessed more than 250,000 times.

“Now, more than ever, reading is a skillset for survival. This astounding gift enables us to continue to prioritize literacy and the critical role it plays in helping youth and families cope with, and emerge stronger from, the pandemic,” Orose says.

Founded in 1999, Words Alive connects children, teens, and families with the power of reading. Words Alive provides access to relevant and quality books, shared reading experiences, and a connection to reading that lays the foundation for continued success. Their efforts were recently applauded in a Publishers Weekly feature on the organization: https://bit.ly/3igm0mg

To learn more about Words Alive visit: www.WordsAlive.org.

2020-2021 Words Alive Westreich Scholars!

This post was written with help from Nia Lewis, a Words Alive volunteer! Do you love writing and have an interest in helping Words Alive create this type of content? We'd love to have you on the team! Email to learn more.

Here at Words Alive, we're incredibly excited to celebrate our Westreich Scholars for the 2020-2021 school year! The Weistreich Scholarship aims to support graduates of our Adolescent Book Group program through the struggles they may face as they pursue their higher education goals. Our scholars for this academic year are Destiny, Andrea, Ulises, Marcia, Esther, and Antonise! We all deserve to pursue our passions through education, and our scholars exemplify how a little support can go a long way.

Andrea, one of our second year Scholars, recently transferred to George Fox University in Oregon to study sociology. She persevered through a difficult home situation during her freshman year and is now thriving at her new school! Andrea first became involved with Words Alive through the Adolescent Book Group at her high school in freshman year, and she became very close with her Words Alive mentor, Sonya, through the Westreich Scholarship program. She continues to stay in touch with the Words Alive team, and she is one of the true embodiments of the goal of this scholarship — to support students so they can flourish in all of their educational plans. You can learn more about her story here.

Even after they graduate from our programs, we know that our scholars continue to make a difference. One of our alumni, Lexi, studied Social Work at San Diego State University and is now a case manager at SAY (Social Advocates for Youth) San Diego! Recently, we were thrilled to work with her to get hundreds of books into the hands of the kids that her organization serves.

All of our scholars continue to prove that within each of us lies a fighter and a conqueror. Each one has had their own unique struggles to overcome, but has learned and grown so much through their determination to successfully transition to higher learning. They are incredible individuals, full of perseverance, passion, and determination. With help from the Words Alive Westreich Scholarship through financial, professional, and mentor support, we are so excited to see what they do in their next chapter.

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Andrea is a returning scholar and a student at George Fox University. She is studying Sociology.

“With the way I grew up, I feel like I could give back in a way with this degree.”

Antonise is a returning scholar and a student at San Diego City College. She is studying Information Security.

“It may be scary, I may stumble along the way but I can’t always waste my life worrying about the what ifs. Helping that student, I acknowledged that fear was my weakness and once knowing that I can grow from this flaw to become a stronger, better me.”

Destiny is a returning scholar and a student at Cal State Bakersfield. She is studying Criminal Justice.

Marcia is a returning scholar and a student at San Diego City College. She is studying Ultrasound Technology.

Esther is a returning scholar and a student at Palomar College. She is studying Sociology.

Ulises is a returning scholar and a student at Point Loma Nazarene University. He is studying Graphic Design with an Illustration Concentration.

“I learned how to handle myself better and how to reach out to friends and mentors. I learned to speak up and ask for help when I need it and not to be ashamed of it.”

Family Literacy and the Power of Play

Play is important for children and adults everywhere. Not only is play a good stress reliever, but playing with your child is a good way to bond and assess your child’s development milestones. For the children themselves, “play contributes to children’s fine and gross motor development and body awareness as they actively use their bodies.”

During our Family Literacy session each week we talk about two major themes: The power of play, and how to make reading more playful. We emphasize the importance of children using their entire body and senses to learn.

A delicious example of this is the book Growing Vegetable Soup. During this session we played a smelling game, asking families to guess the fruit or vegetable in an unmarked container by using only their sense of smell. After the game the children stamped vegetables on paper plates to remind them that literacy is all around us, including in the kitchen. One little boy said, “I want to make sure we put this somewhere in my room so I can see it every day.” The families shared different items they can use at home to play the smelling game (i.e cinnamon, basil, mint, cloves, anise star etc…)  

Through this example we are connecting the power of reading with the world that surrounds us. Having children use their outside sensory abilities to connect to the book will allow for them to have a deep and more meaningful connection to reading and to the world around them.

The First week of April marked the start of our second session of Family Literacy Programming for the 2015/2016 season. For seven weeks we will be working with over a 100 families. Each week we have fun activities and games to engage families, making reading a part of their daily routine!

Here are some of the things families shared they are doing at home after they completed a 7 week session with us:

“When we read ABC Animal Action at home my kids wanted to read the entire book and act out the letters and the way the animals moved.”

“When we read Is Your Mama a Llama, my daughter made sure to point out all the rhyming words.”

“We had the Spanish copy of Is Your Mamma a Llama so his dad can read to him, and we love it because it rhymes in Spanish too.”

Our Family Literacy Program is a full adventure for both the parents and children.  If you are interested in visiting one of our Family Literacy sessions we would be happy to make the arrangements. We have ongoing sessions from now until May 20th. Please contact Amanda Bonds at, [email protected] to schedule a time and join us at a site, as we continue to MAKE READING MATTER!  

Summer Reading Book Drive

It is Reading Awareness Month in San Diego and to help share the importance of reading, Words Alive is participating in a summer reading book drive to benefit the libraries of San Diego. 

“More than half of the achievement gap between lower- and higher – income youth can be explained by unequal access to summer learning opportunities. As a result, low-income youth are less likely to graduate from high school or enter college."

Low-income students lose more than two months in reading achievement over the summer months. Books collected will be distributed to students by the San Diego Public Library to ensure they are able to keep up with their reading over the summer.

To announce this new endeavor, on April 19th Words Alive brought a Read Aloud Program classroom from Washington Elementary to the City Council Meeting. Our students were so excited to learn about what goes on at these meetings and shared their love of reading with the City Council. Madeline from the third grade class addressed the Council and shared, “reading is important because it lets you go places.”

In partnership with Council member Lorie Zapf, City of San Diego, United Way of San Diego County, and the San Diego County Public Library The Summer Reading Book Drive will run through May 31. We will have a collection bin here at Words Alive and keep a look out for bins at your neighborhood public library and select City Administration buildings in San Diego.

As part of our commitment to make reading matter to everyone, we want to encourage all of the work being done in San Diego that supports our mission, “to open opportunities for life success by inspiring a commitment to reading!”

Click HERE to view a list of all of the San Diego County Libraries and locations.

Celebrating Volunteerism: Words Alive and the San Diego Community

As Words Alive joins the nation in celebrating Volunteer Appreciation during the month of April, we thank the volunteer core that tirelessly devotes time and talent year-round to make our mission, and the work of many other organizations, possible.

San Diego is a philanthropically active community, and Words Alive is one part of the call to action.  The University of San Diego’s Caster Family Center for Nonprofit and Philanthropic Research, a partner in Words Alive program evaluations, published their State of Nonprofits in San Diego report in 2014 that cited a total of 9,364 501(c)3 nonprofits in San Diego.  The nonprofits reported represent a variety of foci including but limited to education, health, environment and animals.  Of the thousands of nonprofits reported, only 23% have paid employees – meaning the work of over 7,000 organizations is facilitated entirely by volunteer support. Of the few thousand nonprofits with paid staff, 59% have fewer than 10 employees (Words Alive included). 

The impact of San Diego’s volunteer community becomes clear – an enablement of thousands of charitable organizations to make their missions reality.  We can attest to that: our core of 550 volunteers empowers us with the ability to reach 5,000 children, teens and families each month with our programs.

Turns out, a culture of giving is not limited to San Diego.  In 2014, the State of California had the highest number of reported volunteer hours in the nation.  As if the time spent and the talent shared isn’t enough of a testament to the impact of volunteerism, the dollar value of each hour given is incredible.  In the last year alone, Words Alive volunteers have contributed over 10,000 hours toward our mission.  According to the Corporation for National & Community Service, each volunteer hour is attributed a monetary value of $26.87 (as of 2014). Since April of 2015, Words Alive volunteers have given nearly $269,000 worth in time!

On behalf of every nonprofit in San Diego, thank you for your devoted and often thankless work to ensure that we remain an aware, progressive and giving community.  You provide a model for the world of how your shared time and talent can bring such valued impact. 

Sources:

Schumann, M.J., Jones, J.A., Hunt, K., Mitchell, C., Krasynska, S., and Deitrick, L. (2014).  Annual Report:

State of Nonprofits in San Diego.  San Diego, CA: Caster Family Center for Nonprofit and Philanthropic Research, University of San Diego