Meet the Curriculum Leads!

Here at Words Alive, we have four incredible volunteers who have stepped up to lead our Curriculum Crew — a team of more than 85 volunteers! They help coordinate other volunteers to write, edit, and design our curriculum guides and Write Now prompts. Read on to discover their favorite books, their reasons for volunteering, the challenges and rewards of being a curriculum lead, and more.

Cheryl Converse-Rath: Writing Lead

Tell us about yourself! (if you have one, what's your favorite book and why?)

I am a newly retired 7th grade social studies teacher from Marshall Middle School. I love to travel and read. I don't know that I have a favorite book, but one that has stuck with me a long time is Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper. Every chapter was in a different voice, which really made me question my beliefs—they seemed to change every time another character spoke. It really made me think hard about how I make decisions. The ethical choice the parents were forced to make and the sister 's awareness of that choice haunt me to this day.

What does being the Writing Lead involve?

In addition to writing curriculum, Learning Kit guides, and reviewing books for Page Turners, my "job" is to find people from the volunteer list to also write Curriculum and Learning Kits for accepted books. Sometimes the requests are "urgent" and we have to get a lot of writers on board quickly! Words Alive recently received two grants [for exciting new program partnerships]; the curriculum and learning kits have to be done by next month.

How did you get involved with Words Alive? Why do you volunteer with us?

I got involved with Words Alive because I knew I wanted to volunteer with kids and reading after retirement. The 1st place I signed up to volunteer for only needed 1 hour / week and it would be months before things got started. I reached out to Jose Cruz, the CEO of San Diego Literacy, and he told me about Words Alive. I love the mission and the variety of ways I can be involved. I can work a lot or a little. For now, being able to work a lot is helping me keep sane.

What are the most rewarding/most challenging aspects of your role?

The most rewarding part is to see how different volunteers take on the writing. It is great to have so many voices! The most challenging is when fewer people respond than what we need. I have to remember that although I am pretty free these days, not everyone else is.

Anything else you'd like to share?

Words Alive has introduced me to so many books and writers I would never have discovered on my own. I have read several YA books and have passed a couple on to other students I volunteer with in another program. My kids are all grown, so it has been a long time since I have spent time with picture books. The message and illustrations in Crown: Ode to a Fresh Cut and The Undefeated are inspirational!

Nanditha Krishnan: Editing Lead

Tell us about yourself! (if you have one, what's your favorite book and why?)

My name is Nanditha Krishnan and I’m a junior in high school. I’m an artist, I love using charcoal and taking photos out in nature. I’m also a classical dancer and I’ve been learning the Indian classical dance form Bharatanatyam for 11 years now! My favorite book has got to be Revival by Stephen King. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that fast before, and it kept me on edge the entire time I was reading!

What does being the Editing Lead involve?

It mostly involves distributing newly written guides to the editors and then passing them, once finished, on to the designing team. The leads organize guides by priority and type, such as curriculum, learning kits, and then further by age group. I also get to talk to a lot of the new volunteers who join the crew so that I can learn what kind of guides and books they prefer editing for.

How did you get involved with Words Alive? Why do you volunteer with us?

I got involved with Words Alive through another program called Californians For All. I initially was interested in the Read Aloud Program, but I ended up joining the curriculum team to help edit guides. (I also thought being on curriculum would give me an excuse to buy more books). I was excited to be a part of Words Alive because I really enjoyed reading as a kid and I wanted other kids to get the chance to read and learn from great books.

What are the most rewarding/most challenging aspects of your role?

The most rewarding aspect of my role is getting to learn new perspectives from the editors. For example, the editors with young kids will point out things about learning activities that might be fun for kids to try that I had never even thought of. As a high schooler, I’m definitely not as familiar with what kids might enjoy, so its exciting that I get to meet so many different people and see things from their view.

Anything else you'd like to share?

Something new that I learned when I became a curriculum editor is the amount of work that goes into building social/emotional learning (SEL) questions about themes in novels. I had never heard of SEL before joining Words Alive so I found it really interesting that outside of checking comprehension, the guides were meant to create meaningful conversations about social topics and teach new themes.

I’m currently reading George Takei’s They Called Us Enemy!

Vivian Lin: Design Lead

Tell us about yourself! (if you have one, what's your favorite book and why?)

I am a UCSD Human Biology graduate with a minor in Psychology and I'm currently preparing to apply for med school! My favorite book is If on a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino. It's a very special book in which each chapter is seemingly telling its own story, but as you read on, you will realize that all individual stories are connected!

What does being the Design Lead involve?

[It] involves managing the designing stage of all the curriculum projects. Essentially, I coordinate with our excellent curriculum designers to finalize SEL icons, format curriculum guides, and design learning kits!

How did you get involved with Words Alive? Why do you volunteer with us?

I found Words Alive when I was looking for online volunteer opportunities during COVID. I am very glad that I found Words Alive because I just love the message the organization is spreading across local communities as well as how passionate everyone on the team is! Overall, volunteering with Words Alive has been a very rewarding and enriching experience!

What are the most rewarding/most challenging aspects of your role?

It always warms my heart whenever I see the finalized curriculum projects because I know that each of them has been the product of very solid teamwork!

Anything else you'd like to share?

Sara [our Community & Content Manager] is a super amazing coordinator! She's super helpful and very patient! Big shout out to her! :D

Marcus Weber: Write Now Lead

Tell us about yourself! (if you have one, what's your favorite book and why?

Hello. My name is Marcus Weber. My favorite book is a series, named Tucket’s Travels written by Gary Paulsen. It’s the story of Francis Tucket, a fourteen year old traveling west with a wagon train. The series chronicles his adventures and mishaps. I was drawn to the resourceful creativity Francis used to survive in the wilderness and amongst strangers as he faced challenges in the unforgiving wilderness.

What does being the Write Now Lead involve?

Write Now is a place for teens to cope and connect with current events. I coordinate a team of volunteers to produce writing prompts about current events. We post these prompts to the Words Alive website for anyone to use in their processing of current events. The most exciting part is hearing back from the people who use our prompts.

How did you get involved with Words Alive? Why do you volunteer with us?

I first became aware of Words Alive through the Target App. The app gives you the options to donate points to local nonprofits and Words Alive was one of them. Words Alive's mission to inspire lifelong learners through reading speaks to an instrumental aspect of my life: self-education. I enjoy knowing my effort is creating for others, the foundation in literacy which has benefited me tremendously in my life.

What are the most rewarding/most challenging aspects of your role?

There are many rewarding aspects of this role; working with other volunteers is one of my favorites. I get to read the creative prompts that are contributed by our team of volunteers. The most challenging aspect is maintaining a consistent stream of content; quality writing prompts take a decent amount of coordination before they are posted to the website.

Anything else you'd like to share?

We are always excited for new volunteers to join our team. If you're unsure of how much time you can commit to Words Alive, writing prompts for Write Now is a great place to start.

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We’re so thankful for these four volunteer leaders and all that they do! If you’ve been inspired by their stories and would like to work with them on the Curriculum Team, click here to learn more.

The Words Alive Reader: February 9, 2021

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!

Words Alive in The San Diego Union-Tribune

A picture of our Executive Director, Rachael, with lots of books in a San Diego Union-Tribune article.

“When we rethought what the world looked like, we were able to meet people where they were and give them the opportunity to heal themselves and each other." — Rachael Orose, Executive Director of Words Alive

We were featured in the Local section of The San Diego Union-Tribune for our work during the pandemic! We're so honored to have our work recognized in this way — and it's a powerful testament to the support of our community. Story Station, Treat Yo' Shelf, Page Turners, Family Literacy, Read Aloud Program, Adolescent Book Group, the Westreich Scholarship, and so much more wouldn't exist without you! 

Read the article here to learn more about our impact during the pandemic. 

Champions for Youth Results

An image of a smiling child with his mother below the words “THANK YOU for helping us raise $35,000!”

Over the last two months, 22 volunteer fundraisers helped us raise more than $35,000 in our Champions for Youth campaign! A huge shoutout to all of the donors, fundraisers, and Champions who spread the mission and message of this Words Alive campaign. We are so grateful for your support. 

If you missed out on the campaign but still want to support our students and families, it's not too late! Donate here. 

New Board Leadership

A graphic featuring our incoming and past Words Alive Board Chairs: Andrea MacDonald, Past Board Chair, and Karen Silberman, Incoming Board Chair.

Join us in welcoming four new officers to the Words Alive Board of Directors: Karen Silberman, Chair; Laura Kohn, Vice Chair; Karen Malin, Secretary; and Sandra Korwek, Treasurer!

At the January Board meeting, our new Chair, Karen Silberman, outlined a vision for Words Alive with highlights including improving the financial stability of the organization, raising Words Alive’s profile throughout San Diego, and increasing and celebrating diversity throughout all aspects of our work.

We are so thankful to Andrea MacDonald for her fearless leadership and service as our Board Chair the past two years, guiding us through significant organizational transitions including finding a new executive director and pivoting our organization to be responsive to the needs of our community during the pandemic. We are honored that Andrea will continue to serve on the Board and continue to guide us forward.

You can learn more about our Board of Directors here!

Anonymous $150,000 Gift!

A graphic of a mother and two children with the words “THANK YOU for $150,000 to help us change lives!”

We are excited and humbled to share that Words Alive has received an incredible donation of $150,000!! You can read all about it in the Times of San Diego.

The donor has chosen to remain anonymous, but just in case they’re reading this, we are deeply grateful for your incredible generosity and support. We couldn't do what we do without the support of our community, and now we're able to change even more lives through the power of reading!

Project Literacy Special on ABC 10 News

A screenshot from the Project Literacy Special. A newscaster stands in front of an image of a mother reading to her daughters, with the caption “Project Literacy: Building lifelong love of reading.”

It’s been a newsworthy month for us at Words Alive! We were recently featured in a 30-minute Project Literacy special on ABC 10. In the Reader, you hear a lot about the work that we're doing, but the truth is: we're just one solution in a community-wide effort to combat illiteracy.

We encourage you to check out the special to learn more about how illiteracy affects our community and the many incredible people who are working to address this problem. Find the whole video here! 

Celebrate Black History Month with Cover to Cover

The cover of Dear Martin by Nic Stone.

This February, celebrate Black History Month by reading Dear Martin with us through Cover to Cover, our monthly book club for teens! Through Cover to Cover, we guide teens through diverse, relevant, and modern novels — stories that often reflect their lived experiences.

Dear Martin, a powerful coming of age story by Nic Stone, explores themes of racial injustice, police brutality, and interracial relationships as the main character, Justyce, copes with current events in his life by writing letters to Martin Luther King, Jr. Every week in February, we'll be releasing new activities for 9th-12th graders to engage with the important ideas in this book — ones that are crucial to our work all year round. Follow along here! 

Donate here to support Words Alive!

This newsletter, in addition to our blog and social media content, is written by us, a cohort of 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.

- Zoe, Eli, Nia and Titiksha, Words Alive Storytelling Team

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.

The Words Alive Reader: January 20, 2021

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!

This newsletter, in addition to our blog and social media content, is written by us, a cohort of 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.

- Zoe, Eli, Nia and Titiksha, Words Alive Storytelling Team

Farmers is Matching the Next $5,000 Raised

A graphic that says “Become a Champion for Words Alive This Winter!” above the Champions for Youth logo.

Just announced: Farmers Insurance will be matching the next $5,000 we raise in our campaign! This means that if you give now, your gift will go farther than ever. Not only will a $10 donation become $20, it will also move us ahead in the competition for up to $40,000 in bonus funding from The Century Club of San Diego and Farmers Insurance.

Since December, 22 incredible champions have already helped us engage 253 donors, raising $20,000 of our $30,000 goal! We have two weeks left to raise as much as we can. Donate today to take advantage of the match and make the biggest impact with your gift.

Melinda Wynar, Community Champion

We're proud to announce that Melinda Wynar, one of our volunteers, has recently been recognized by Molina Healthcare as a Community Champion for her leadership and service to our community! Over the last 6 years, Melinda has been a dedicated volunteer for many different Words Alive initiatives, from the Read Aloud Program to the Authors Auction, and her commitment to her community continues to shine through her actions every day. We're so grateful for Melinda! Read more about her in our most recent blog post.

Volunteers Needed: Work Directly with Families and Kids!

A screenshot of one of our programs taking place over Zoom.

Interested in working directly with families and young students? Sign up to help with the Family Literacy Program! Beginning in February, we need small group facilitators to lead activities with families in breakout rooms, English/Spanish bilingual lead facilitators, and volunteers experienced with Zoom to support facilitators and participants during the sessions. Help families build healthy reading habits through sharing and exploring stories together! Email our Volunteer Coordinator, Robyn Grand, if you are interested.

Learning Kits for Monarch School

An image of the supplies going into the kits: colored pencils, scissors, glue sticks, erasers, and more.

We're partnering with Monarch School to create and deliver 350 learning kits to their students! Monarch is a wonderful school here in San Diego that exclusively serves youth experiencing homelessness. 

As part of an all-school reading initiative focused on mental health and well-being students from all grades will receive books and activities, including a guide on how to talk, write, and connect about what they are reading with their families. They will also receive supplies to participate in our upcoming Art & Lit project! We are excited to be working with such a wide range of ages to extend our programming across the whole school. 

Want to support even more students with at-home learning? We need volunteers based in San Diego to help us assemble crafts that accompany the stories children are reading! Email our Volunteer Coordinator, Robyn Grand, to learn more. 

Help Us Provide Books to San Ysidro High School

The covers of the books The Radius of Us by Marie Marquardt, Internment by Samira Ahmed, and The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates by West More.

Last week, we officially started an exciting partnership between San Ysidro High School and Words Alive! We are training educators at the school to (virtually) implement Adolescent Book Group at their campus. Through this partnership, we will be engaging 350 high school students with a book-club style discussion of three powerful novels: The Radius of Us, Internment, and The Other Wes Moore.

In order for us to give books to all of the students, we still need 175 copies of each of the three titles. If you would like to provide a high schooler with books they can read, love, and take home to keep, click here. We thank you for your support!

Join Words Alive at This Year’s SDIJFF

A graphic that says “31st annual SDIJFF: February 11-21, 2021; screenings from the comfort of your home.”

Words Alive is excited to announce that we are a community partner for the 31st Annual San Diego International Jewish Film Festival. This year’s festival will include not only over 36 films to enjoy virtually, but also more than 20 on-demand films available from February 11-21, 2021, all from the comfort of your own home. By using our code WORDS21, you can get $2 off an individual ticket purchase at lfjcc.org/film. Invite your friends and family for 11 days of film celebration and festivities. We hope to see you there!

Donate here to support Words Alive!

Plot Twist: Melinda Wynar

This post was created by Ben Hollingshead and Zoe Wong, Words Alive volunteers! 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.

Meet Words Alive volunteer extraordinaire: Melinda Wynar! Melinda is a retired preschool teacher and senior program activity director who has been a beloved Read Aloud Program volunteer for many years. She has also stepped up to volunteer for several other Words Alive programs whenever we need her!

Melinda is featured as a Community Champion in this video from Molina Healthcare!

She was recently recognized by Molina Healthcare as a Community Champion for her leadership and dedication to our community. Read on to learn about Melinda’s experience reading during the transition to distance learning, her takeaways and proudest accomplishments as a volunteer, and her hopes for our community.   

Melinda’s journey with Words Alive began when she started making plans for her retirement six years ago. “I made a list of all the things that I wanted to do when I retired and things that I enjoy doing,” she says. “And one of them that I always loved to do was to read to kids—it was my favorite thing when I was a preschool teacher many, many years ago.” Starting at the local library, she looked for reading-related volunteer opportunities without much success, until she heard about Words Alive from a friend. She found her way to our website, signed up to volunteer, and has not looked back since. “I just felt embraced by [Words Alive],” Melinda says, describing her first impressions of the organization.”I’ve never felt so well taken care of.” 

Melinda reads aloud to a classroom full of students.

Melinda began reading at Felicita Elementary School in Escondido and has been with the school ever since. Her continued commitment to Felicita means that she has built up strong relationships with teachers and kids over the years. “I’ll walk through the school and other kids that I read with...maybe the year before...will say ‘Oh, there’s the reading lady!'" Melinda says, smiling. “The most rewarding part is just interacting with these amazing teachers and kids,” she says. “It’s amazing how it makes an impression on the kids.” This excited response from the students is what has motivated her to be a tireless volunteer for the past six years.

Melinda and one of her classrooms at Felicita Elementary smile and hold up books.

As schools have moved to virtual learning, she has enthusiastically approached the challenge of reading on Zoom. “It’s tricky,” she laughs. “I'm so used to having the kids close by and being able to have a little more interaction with them.” But she didn’t let a bumpy first meeting stop her. She reached out and began working closely with the teachers to effectively redesign the online sessions, willingly incorporating feedback to optimize the interactive reading experience for her students. “[The teacher] may actually have the kids zoom in on their iPads,” Melinda says, “so that I will see them closer and I can feel a little more interactive with them.”  

She truly loves what she does, which is evident when she describes the books she reads to the kids. Her favorite book to read aloud is The Night Gardener by the Fan Brothers. “It is the most beautifully written and illustrated book; it actually brings tears to my eyes,” she says, describing the story about a magical gardener who creates beautiful topiaries by night. Another favorite is The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt, a book about a group of disgruntled crayons who go on strike from coloring.“That book just cracks me up!” she says, smiling.

The cover of The Night Gardener, Melinda's favorite book.

Melinda is honest about the lessons she's learned through her time as a volunteer. "Reading with Words Alive put me in a community I'm not usually associated with," she says. "I definitely had to look at stereotypes or biases that I had about lower income communities or Hispanic communities." Because of her willingness to learn and challenge her own assumptions, her experience as a volunteer has given her a new appreciation for the hopes, aspirations, and struggles of the communities she works with.

Melinda volunteering at a socially-distanced book sorting.

In addition to being a Read Aloud Program volunteer, Melinda has stepped up for many of our other programs, including helping with Readers in the Heights, putting together craft kits, recording read-aloud videos for children with limited home libraries, sorting book donations, and most recently, fundraising on our behalf as a Champion for Youth. But her proudest accomplishment as a volunteer, she says, was recruiting authors to donate their time to the Words Alive Authors Auction. This silent auction allowed participants to bid on virtual visits with published authors, with all proceeds going to Words Alive. “It was very fun getting different authors to sign on,” she says. Through her tireless efforts, twelve more authors volunteered for the auction. “I'm pretty proud about that!” she says.

All of this volunteer work means a lot to Melinda personally. “Retiring is a little terrifying,” she says, laughing. “I was so used to working and being involved in so many different things...I would wake up in the morning, ready to jump out of bed, because I had a definite thing to do.” Now, as a retiree, she says, “What I love about volunteering is it gives me that same sense of purpose.”

Melinda reads to four children as part of Readers in the Heights.

And although she has retired from the workforce, Melinda has never stopped giving back to our community. “What I’m really hoping is that…we can find ways to come together and to find our common humanity,” she says. “Reading is a wonderful part of bringing people together.”

We couldn't agree more! Melinda, thank you for your time and dedication to making our community a better place.

January Page Turner of the Month

Every month we like to highlight one of our superstar Page Turners. This month we are honoring two! The newest additions to our Page Turners team- our interns!

our January Page Turners of the Month Are…

Ashlie Morrison and Shanaya Malik

What has been the best book you've read with Page Turners?

The best book that I've read with Page Turners has been Yes No Maybe So, by Aisha Saeed and Becky Albertalli because the two main characters were both minorities, and I appreciated the book's representation of race and culture. I also found that it had discussed politics and other real-world issues while also being a cute romance novel, so it was entertaining as well as educational!

Why did you start reading books with Page Turners and why do you continue?

I started reading books with Page Turners as I thought that having to read books as a form of community service would be a wonderful opportunity considering that I'm a bookworm! I continued because I realized that the books that Words Alive offers are so diverse and open to touching on subjects that schools often don't educate students on, so I liked being able to understand more about life through those books.

How has being a Page Turner changed the way you read or think about reading?

I would say that being a Page Turner has changed the way I read and think about reading in the sense that it has made me more open to learning about different issues in the world and being able to view subjects from a different perspective. I think that Words Alive has allowed me to better understand the importance of diversity and having a willingness to discuss subjects that are important in society and the world.

What has been the best book you've read with Page Turners?

I’d have to say the March Trilogy by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell. It was really engaging way of seeing the civil rights movement from a current perspective and shows the legacy John Lewis left behind.

Why did you start reading books with Page Turners and why do you continue?

I started reading books with Page Turners because I needed something to do during quarantine! I’ve always loved to read so when I found out there was an organization that needed volunteers to read and review books I jumped at the chance. I’m really glad I did because it has been a rewarding experience!

How has being a Page Turner changed the way you read or think about reading?

Being a Page Turner has helped me expand my perspective. I think most people are drawn to characters which represent them and being a Page Turner has encouraged me to read books with more diverse characters and perspectives, which I’ve really enjoyed!

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Are you part of a key club or organization who wants to develop a project with Page Turners? Email [email protected] to get started!

Are you a book lover who wants to read books for Page Turners?

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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.”

December Page Turner of the Month

Every month we like to highlight one of our superstar Page Turners. Our amazing December Page Turner of the Month has read a whopping twentynine books since she first started in August

our December Page Turner of the Month is…

Tejaswini Knanaparthy

1) What has been the best book you've read with Page Turners?

The best book I've read with Page Turners so far is If I Ever Get Out of Here by Eric Gansworth.

2) Why did you start reading books with Page Turners and why do you continue?

My school's Key Club offered reading for Page Turners as a service opportunity, and I was interested in reading many of the books that were under review.

3) How has being a Page Turner changed the way you read or think about reading?

As a Page Turner, I've been able to gain more exposure to literature by analyzing a wide variety of genres of books. In addition to my grammar and critical thinking skills being improved, this has allowed me to really consider new perspectives and relevant issues going on.

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Are you part of a key club or organization who wants to develop a project with Page Turners? Email [email protected] to get started!

Are you a book lover who wants to read books for Page Turners?

The Words Alive Reader: December 18th, 2020

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!

This newsletter, in addition to our blog and social media content, is written by us, a cohort of volunteers! Do you love writing and have an interest in helping Words Alive create this type of content? We'd love your help! Email our Volunteer Coordinator, Robyn, to learn more.

- Zoe, Eli and Titiksha, Words Alive Storytelling Team

Words Alive Alumni Give Back

A screenshot from a call with some of our Westreich Scholarship alumni! Lexi (top left) has connected us to the organization where she now works.

We are always thrilled about any opportunity to get books to students, but we're especially excited about our new partnership with SAY (Social Advocates for Youth) San Diego because we are working with one of our Westreich Scholarship alumni! Lexi graduated from San Diego State University last year and is now working as a case manager for this wonderful organization. We loved supporting Lexi through her college journey and we're honored to be able to partner with her now! Thanks to this connection, more than 500 kids will be receiving a new book this holiday season. 

Help us develop even more partnerships by purchasing supplies from our Amazon wishlist! Many of these items will go towards innovative programming at Monarch School, Lexi’s alma mater. 

Become a Champion for Youth

A graphic with text that reads “Become a Champion for Words Alive This Winter!” above the “Champions for Youth” logo.

Words Alive is constantly seeking new ways to inspire a love of reading and promote educational equity. Help us reach this goal by signing up to become a part of Words Alive's Champions For Youth campaign!

Champions for Youth is an exciting peer-to-peer fundraising campaign that runs from December through January. When you create a fundraising page, you can inspire your friends and family to invest in the joy of reading. Every $10 you help raise will enable us to provide a bedtime story to a child.

The best part? The funds you raise will be amplified by gifts from Farners Insurance and the Century Club of San Diego. Sign up for an information session here!

Thank You, EY Page Turners!

An infographic titled “EY and Page Turners By the Numbers.” The infographic includes the statistics: 275 book reviews; 28, 334 pages read for Page Turners; 51 titles reviewed including What Color is My World? by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Come On In by Adi Alsaid, and Nino Wrestles the World by Yuyi Morales; 546 hours spent reading; 211 Page Turners; and “Want to learn more? Visit us at www.wordsalive.org/page-turners”

We’re excited to say that our partnership with EY has brought 211 new virtual volunteers into our Page Turners program from all across the country! Together, they’ve read more than 28,000 pages and written 275 book reviews to help us identify the best books for our curriculum.

And they've had a great time doing it! "We appreciate the opportunity to live our values by volunteering with you...Thank you for making it so easy for our people to give back during this unprecedented year," the EY Ripples team says. Thank you, EY, for helping us make a difference! 

If you’d like to join them as a Page Turner, visit our website to learn more.

Virtual Family Literacy Program with Oceanside Public Library

A young child draws with colored pencils in a notebook.

Recently, we partnered with the Oceanside Public Library to create a successful fully-remote version of our Family Literacy Program. Eleven families joined us for the virtual course, which pursued a bilingual approach to literacy.

Through books, crafts, and songs in both English and Spanish, families and their preschool children built key early literacy skills—and just as importantly, a love for reading! One of the participating families says their three-year-old is still talking about the program and even reads to his stuffed animals now. We love it!

If you'd like to help us inspire more families to read together, check out our volunteer opportunities here!

1,780 Brand New Books for Kids

A picture of our Executive Director, Rachael, with lots of boxes of donated books!

San Diego showed off the spirit of giving this week, as we received 1,780 books for kids and teens. We want to say a huge thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and the San Diego Council on Literacy for their generous donations, and hope you’ll consider joining them. Help us get even more books into kids' hands this holiday season by donating to our Champions for Youth campaign!

Stock Donations

A young child holds up a sign that says “I’m a Summer Super Reader!”

Donating stock to Words Alive is a meaningful investment in our life-changing literacy work! It's a simple process with many benefits:

1. You receive a charitable income-tax deduction for the full fair-market value of the stock at the time of the gift.*

2. You incur no capital gains tax on the increased value of the stock.*

Words Alive has an account at Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. Your gift must be postmarked by December 31 to qualify for a deduction in that tax year. A stockbroker or trust officer also can arrange for a year-end gift of stock from your account.
To learn more or to make a donation, click here!   

*subject to IRS deduction limits​​​​​​​

Donate here to support Words Alive!