Welcome to The Words Alive Reader, a regular newsletter keeping you up-to-date with the latest in how we've been connecting children, teens, and families to the power of reading. What have we been up to and how can you help? Read on to find out!
We’re Back in School!
Image of book given out to Read Aloud students and craft puppets created to help students retell the story.
In October, Read Aloud volunteers kicked off the school year in an epic way! Volunteers read We Don't Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins with 1,530 elementary students across 51 virtual and in-person classrooms. Every student received a book to keep, a clothespin-puppet craft activity, and family discussion guide (available in 8 languages) to bring the joy of reading home.
One teacher from Burbank Elementary shared:
"My students were so excited to get a new book...I heard from the families that their children use the puppets to retell the story [at home]. We are so fortunate to count on you to provide excellent literacy content. Our reader, Mrs. Hopkins, is amazing. She connects with the students really well."
We are building a love of reading and home libraries thanks to the remarkable and collaborative investments from donors and volunteers. If you'd like to help us reach more students, click here to become a monthly donor or email us so we can help you find your on-ramp.
North County Philanthropy Council Volunteer of the Year: Jim McIlhon
Graphic congratulating Mr. Jim McIlhon on being honored as a 2021 Volunteer of the Year
Words Alive is proud to celebrate James "Mr. Jim" McIlhon as a Volunteer of the Year at the North County Philanthropy Council's 2021 Volunteer Awards Celebration, held Friday, November 5. You may recognize Mr. Jim from Facebook Live, where his Story Station videos exploring books and modeling read aloud best practices have been viewed more than 250,000 times! Learn more about Mr. Jim here.
More than 1,600 passionate volunteers help us bring words alive for children, teens, and families. Click to find opportunities to volunteer.
Thank You to The Conrad Prebys Foundation!
Child doing a craft project while following along with virtual Family Literacy Program
Words Alive is thrilled to announce an extraordinary $80,000 investment from The Conrad Prebys Foundation to grow our programming for families. Through our Family Literacy Program, hundreds of families explore early literacy and language development while connecting reading with play.
This gift allows us to hire our first dedicated staff to the program at a time when supporting family learning is most critical. You can learn more about this extraordinary investment from The Conrad Prebys Foundation here.
Author’s Luncheon & Fundraiser Postponed
Attendees at a past Author’s Luncheon sitting around a table.
We've decided to move our annual Author's Luncheon and Fundraiser to Spring 2022. We're hoping to welcome you to an in-person event celebrating the resilience and passion of our community throughout the pandemic. Date and details are forthcoming.
For a limited time, you can watch last year's virtual event with Ayad Akhtar, discussing his novel Homeland Elegies, for free here.
Interested in supporting our Author's Luncheon & Fundraiser? We'd love to connect.
Welcome New Staff
Image of two new staff members - Faryl Kander, Family Program Manager; Murphy Hernandez, Program Coordinator
Please join us in welcoming two new staff members to our organization, Dr. Faryl Kander, Family Program Manager, and Murphy Hernandez, Program Coordinator! We're excited about the unique skills and experiences they bring to Words Alive.
The demand for our programming continues to soar amidst this time of post-traumatic growth. Find staff and intern positions and volunteer opportunities on our website.
Stay Connected
Graphic saying “Follow Us” @WordsAliveSd
Follow us on social media for daily updates about how our Words Alive community makes a difference in the lives of children, teens, and families.
Follow @WordsAliveSD on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
You'll find examples of Words Alive "In The News" on our website as well.
This newsletter, in addition to our blog and social media content, is written by us, a cohort of staff and volunteers! Do you love writing and have an interest in helping Words Alive create this type of content? We'd love your help! Email to learn more.