The Words Alive Reader: March 19, 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!

Meet Our 11-Year-Old Volunteer, Elise!

A picture of Elise on a blue and orange background.

Elise Goldwasser is one of our youngest volunteers ever! She is passionate about reading and joined us as a volunteer fundraiser for our latest Champions for Youth campaign. She reminds us: “People should be more accepting of kids and not make everything ‘only adults,’ because kids can do a lot of things too!”

Her story shows kids—and adults—what is possible when we use our passion to serve our communities. Read more about her experience with Words Alive and why everyone should volunteer on our blog!

Thank You, San Diego Gulls and Cal Coast

A big pile of learning supplies ready to give away to students: books, colored pencils, glue sticks, and more!

Words Alive would like to thank the San Diego Gulls Foundation and Cal Coast Credit Union for hosting a book and learning supply drive for us in celebration of Read Across America Day! Thanks to their support, we received $3,925 in cash, plus more than $400 worth of learning supplies from our Amazon wishlist. We are so grateful for the generosity of our community and can't wait to get these supplies into the hands of our students. If you would like to help us provide even more books and learning supplies to students and families, you can purchase something from our wishlist right now!

Celebrate Women's History Month with Cover to Cover

The cover of Internment by Samira Ahmed. A girl wearing a baseball cap that says “Resist.”

Women’s History Month is here! If you’d like to celebrate with us, grab a copy of this month’s Cover to Cover book, Internment, by Samira Ahmed.

Internment follows a teenager named Layla and her family, who are forced into an internment camp for Muslim-Americans. Even though it is set in the future, this novel is very much about our past, and even our present, and the ways in which we are in danger of repeating history if we don't examine it.

Every week, we release new activities for 9th-12th graders to engage with the important ideas in diverse, young adult literature. Follow along here!

Save the Date: Volunteer Appreciation Celebration

A graphic that says “You’re Invited! Words Alive’s 12th Annual Volunteer Appreciation Celebration, Presented by EY.” In the bottom half, it says “Thursday, April 22 at 4PM PT. Sign up to join us for an optional breakout session to participate in the 2021 Art & Lit project!”

We want to celebrate you! You are invited to the 12th Annual Volunteer Appreciation Celebration, taking place on Thursday, April 22nd at 4:00 PM PT. Join us as we reflect on a year of incredible contributions from volunteers all across San Diego, the United States, and the world! Save the date and a Zoom link will be made available soon.

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

Plot Twist: Elise Goldwasser

Welcome to our blog series, Plot Twist! Here, we'll be sharing the stories of people in the Words Alive community — stories of change, growth, and maybe a few surprising twists! We hope that through these stories, you'll get to know our community a little better and see the power of literacy come to life.

Meet Elise Goldwasser, one of our youngest volunteers ever! Elise is 11 years old and in 5th grade. She lives in Northern California and loves to read, play the guitar, draw and dance. Recently, she joined us as a volunteer fundraiser for our Champions for Youth campaign. We talked to Elise about her experience with Words Alive and why everyone should volunteer, no matter how old they are!

Elise decided to start volunteering during the pandemic. “I was bored during quarantine,” she says, “and I just wanted to do something to help other people, particularly kids.” She first heard of Words Alive from her sister’s teacher, who shared an opportunity to record read aloud videos through our Kids Reading to Kids project. Because of changes in publisher permissions, Elise wasn’t able to record a video, but she was still committed to making an impact with Words Alive. She signed up to host a fundraising page for us during our 2020 Champions for Youth Campaign and raised $130 to support our mission!  

One reason Elise wanted to get involved with Words Alive is that reading is one of her passions. She loves too many books to pick a favorite, but one that she enjoyed recently is One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia.

She also knows that it’s important for kids to learn how to read. “It just helps them be successful in life, because it helps them in school—even math, with word problems and things,” she says. “It gets them into a good college and helps them get a job.”

What does Elise have to say to kids who don't like reading? “They haven’t found the right book!” Through her work with Words Alive, she wants to help other kids to discover the power of reading and learn to love books like she does.

Elise cares about giving back to her community in other ways, too. It wasn’t always easy to find volunteer opportunities that accepted kids, but she didn’t let that stop her. She volunteered with Resistance Labs (now Movement Labs) as a text banker for the 2020 presidential election and the Senate runoffs in Georgia, helping people get resources to vote. She also works with another organization, By Kids for Kids, to help younger children with reading.  

“You feel like you’re making a difference, and that’s really cool. I didn’t really know I had the power to do that before.”

All of this volunteering has been an empowering experience for Elise. “It’s definitely exciting, because you feel like you’re making a difference, and that’s really cool,” she says. “I didn’t really know I had the power to do that before.” She hopes that more kids will be able to try volunteering. “It gives them that responsibility and just learning about helping people from a young age,” she says.

And, as a challenge to kids and adults alike, she says, “There’s no reason they can’t [volunteer]! You should just do it because you can find something with a lot of work, or not that much.” If you want to give back, but aren’t sure where to start, Elise says, “Volunteer for something you’re passionate about, because that will be more fun for you. And for kids, take advantage of the places you can volunteer, because for me, there weren’t that many.”

In the future, she says, “I hope that Words Alive just continues to do what they do and help kids learn how to read and find a love for reading.” Elise hopes to do more work with Words Alive when she’s older! And in the meantime, she hopes that even more organizations will open their doors to kids who want to help.

“People should be more accepting of kids and not make everything ‘only adults,’ because kids can do a lot of things too!”

—

We couldn’t agree more. Elise, thank you for showing kids—and adults—what’s possible when we use our passions to serve our communities.

This post was created by Zoe Wong, 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.

March Page Turner of the Month

Every month we like to highlight one of our superstar Page Turners!

our March Page Turner of the Month is…

Christine Northup

How did you get started with Words Alive?

I started volunteering with Words Alive about a month or two into the pandemic. It was difficult during the initial shut down and I wanted to help as a virtual volunteer. I found the Page Turners opportunity through a Google search, and since I love to read, it was a perfect fit!

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

I've enjoyed reading many of the Page Turner books, but my favorites so far are Patron Saints of Nothing and Sabrina & Corina. 

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

As mentioned, volunteering as a Page Turner seemed like a perfect fit because of my love of reading. I was really drawn to Words Alive's mission of instilling a love of reading and inspiring students to become lifelong learners. Also, I love the flexibility! If I sign up for a book and life gets too busy, there's no pressure if I have to put my reading or review on hold for a bit. At the same time, each Page Turners sign-up keeps me accountable and committed to completing the book and my review.

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

Being a Page Turner has really changed the way I view YA Fiction, which is much more complex than I remember! I always seem to be learning something new.

What city are you based in?

I'm based in San Diego.

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Want to become a Page Turner? Get started below:

The Words Alive Reader: February 26, 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!

FLP Launches at Lindsay Community School

A picture of our porcupine craft: a drawing of a porcupine decorated with toothpicks. Writing above the porcupine says “"‘He feels spikey. Comb his hair!’ — Starling”

In early February, we kicked off a fully-virtual version of our Family Literacy Program at Lindsay Community School! The Lindsay School, our longest-standing partner school, serves pregnant and parenting teens. Thanks to the generosity of the Words Alive community, we are now working with both the teen moms and their children.

In advance of our first session, families received Learning Kits for each of the weeks we’re learning together. Learning Kits include a copy of the story, parent guides, and craft materials related to the book.  At our first session, we read How Do You Hug a Porcupine? The kids followed along with the story – read in English and Spanish by our outstanding teaching artists — and then together we completed the most adorable porcupine craft projects!

If you'd like to help us provide books and learning supplies to students in our Family Literacy Program, check out our Amazon wishlist the next time you’re shopping online.

Celebrating Our 200th Story Station

A graphic that says “200 days of Story Station!” next to pictures of three of our volunteer Story Station Conductors.

"The greatest gain is being able to model the behaviors that we'd love to see parents embrace in the home." — Jim McIlhon, Story Station volunteer, on the power of virtual read alouds

We recently shared our 200th live read aloud on Story Station! Our daily read alouds on Facebook Live (every weekday at 2 pm PT) have become a beloved way for children and families to connect through the power of story.

Want to celebrate with us? Check out this blog post about one of our Story Station conductors, Mr. Jim, to learn more about why sharing stories with children and families is so important.

Meet our Curriculum Leads

A graphic featuring pictures of our four Curriculum Leads: Cheryl Converse-Rath, Nanditha Krishnan, Vivian Lin, and Marcus Weber.

We are thrilled to introduce four incredible volunteers who have stepped up to lead our Curriculum Crew: Cheryl, Nanditha, Vivian, and Marcus! Words Alive’s Curriculum Leads coordinate the 80+ volunteers who are writing, editing, and designing the curriculum used in our programming – both in person and online. Discover their favorite books, reasons for volunteering, challenges and rewards of being a Curriculum Crew Lead Volunteer, and more in our new blog post.

Champions for Youth Bonus Funding Results

A graphic that says “Champion for Youth Results.” The graphic features the words “$53,000 Bonus Funding” over a trophy, with the words “$93,000 total!” at the bottom.

Throughout December and January, we had the exciting opportunity to participate in the Champions for Youth campaign with the Century Club of San Diego and Farmers Insurance.  

The results are in: all together, we earned $92,400 through the campaign – which included over $53,000 in bonus funding that was based on the number of individuals who made a gift, of any size, in support of the campaign.  

Thank you so much to everyone who supported us! Even if you missed out on the campaign, it's never too late to support our students and families. Learn how you can give here. 

We’re Hiring

A graphic that says “Join the team as our Engagement Director” above a picture of our staff.

Do you love providing people with opportunities to invest in causes they care about? Are you passionate about the power of reading? Come work with us!

We're looking for an Engagement Director to join our leadership team. You'll help us strategically engage our community to support our mission through investments of time, skills, donations, and resources. Learn more about this exciting opportunity here, and help us spread the word.

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

February Page Turner of the Month

Every month we like to highlight one of our superstar Page Turners. Our amazing February Page Turner has read over 60 hours worth of books since she first joined.

our February Page Turner of the Month is…

Ileana Vazquez

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

I began volunteering with Page Turners initially because I found it to be a great opportunity and I was interested in incorporating the experience into my senior project. The more books I read, the more I wanted to keep reading with Page Turners! The books I read had such engaging, diverse experiences and I think it's important that other students like myself are able to experience those stories as well.

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

Pride by Ibi Zoboi was the best book I’ve read with Page Turners. As a fan of the novel Pride and Prejudice, I really appreciated the diversity and the celebration of Afro-Latino culture in the book!

3) What city are you based in?

Denver, CO

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Want to become a Page Turner? Get started below:

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!