Recipients include street children, young African refugees making way for books and promoting holistic development

Washington DC(Hint): Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today that three organizations dedicated to expanding literacy and promoting reading will be honored with the 2022 Library of Congress Literacy Awards. Top awards were given to street children, Make way for books and African youth refugees for holistic development.

Launched in 2013 by philanthropist David M. Rubenstein, the Literacy Awards program recognizes organizations that provide exemplary, innovative and replicable strategies to combat illiteracy. For 10 years, the U.S. Library of Congress has recognized the urgent need to achieve universal literacy through a literacy awards program.

“Literacy means you can absorb information and make your own decisions on your own, and that’s freedom,” said Librarian of Congress Kara Hayden. “Through the generosity of David M. Rubinstein, the U.S. Library of Congress is proud to recognize and celebrate the achievements of these extraordinary organizations in advancing global literacy efforts.”

Prizes and Winners

2022 David M. Rubenstein Award ($150,000): Street Children in London, UK (International Business in Africa and Asia)

Established in 2008, Street Child is a UK-based international charity currently operating in 20 of the world’s most vulnerable countries. Its programs have brought meaningful educational opportunities to more than half a million children, often through the help of local partners and in the context of post-emergency response. Street Child uses evidence-based teaching methods while keeping costs low. The organization believes that all children should be in school, safe and learning. Street Child works closely with its partners to bring literacy to the forefront of government and community discussions. They have established more than 400 local girls’ conferences to advocate for greater attention and accountability for girls’ education in Nepal. The Girls’ Assembly is part of a larger network that includes representatives from local communities, school boards, child welfare boards and municipal leaders, demonstrating street children’s continued commitment to addressing gender discrimination and education disparities. Incorporating local feedback into their project designs helps street children ensure community support, thereby increasing their sustainability. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Street Child has increased the program’s long-term reproducibility by shifting to distance teaching and learning courses through a low-cost combination of phone assistance, audio-assisted sessions, and self-paced print packages. Independent controlled trials confirmed that street children’s efforts resulted in measurable literacy and numeracy skills for their program participants.

2022 America Awards ($50,000): Make Way for Books, Tucson, Arizona

Founded in 1998, Make Way for Books provides early literacy programs for young children and their families who may not have access to books or quality early education. Make Way for Books offers a two-generation approach to developing the skills of young children (birth to age 5) and their caregivers. The program is well established, highly valued and developed. It serves 25 school districts and nearly 18,000 young children in southern and central Arizona. Make Way for Books is bilingual in content, culturally sensitive in approach, and representative in staffing. Organizations use externally validated assessment tools to demonstrate effectiveness. It is sustained by a strong, predictable budget and supported by local, state and national foundations, founders and donors.

2022 International Prize ($50,000): Young African Refugees for Holistic Development, Kampala, Uganda

Founded in 2007, Young Africa Refugees for Integral Development is an educational non-profit organization based in Kampala, Uganda. What makes the organization unique is that it was founded by young Congolese refugees who forged links with local refugees by hosting football matches. With sport as the initial strategic unity, the refugees involved quickly realized that they needed a common language to communicate with each other on the pitch. As a result, the organization started offering English literacy classes. The initiative then encourages participants to seek and obtain employment opportunities.

Young Africa Refugees for Integral Development’s literacy model follows a staged approach to learning English; courses begin with six weeks of instruction in the student’s native language, followed by six weeks of instruction in both native language and English. Finally, three months of teaching are conducted in English only. The organization’s target audience has grown from 30 young refugees in its first year to nearly 5,000 learners now. With financial support from a respected foundation, the Young African Refugees for Integral Development Program has partnered with the Ugandan government to expand and expand their work in the country.

2022 Successful Practice Winner ($5,000)

The Library of Congress Literacy Awards Program is honoring 12 additional organizations for their highly successful practices in literacy promotion. These winners, each recipient of $5,000, are:

Follow the world, Niamey, Niger

Children’s DIBS, Omaha, Nebraska

Dominican Republic Education and Mentoring Program, Milton, Vermont (operating in the Dominican Republic)

Impact Network International, Brooklyn, New York (operating in Zambia)

International Literacy and Development, Duncanville, TX

Kids Reading Now, Troy, Ohio

Literacy Achievement, Dallas, TX

Literacy Action, Atlanta, Georgia

Literacy Network, Madison, Wisconsin

ReadWorks, Brooklyn, New York

ServeMinnesota (Reading Corps), Minneapolis, Minnesota

World Education, Boston, MA (operating in the US, Africa and Asia)

Over the past decade, the Library of Congress Literacy Awards Program has awarded more than $3 million to more than 150 institutions in 38 countries.

For more information on the awards and past recipients, as well as an interactive program map, visit https://www.loc.gov/programs/library-of-congress-literacy-awards.

David M. Rubenstein is Co-Founder and Co-Executive Chairman of The Carlyle Group. He is a major donor to the Library of Congress and chairs the James Madison Committee, the library’s major donor group.

The United Nations General Assembly has designated a number of “international days” to commemorate important aspects of human life and history, including September 8, International Literacy Day. For more information on International Literacy Day, please visit: https://en.unesco. Organizing / Commemorating / Literacy Day.

The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, providing on-site and online access to America’s creative record and a wealth of material from around the world. It is the main research body of the United States Congress and the seat of the United States Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services, and other programs and plan to visit loc.gov; visit the official website for information on US federal legislation at Congress.gov; and register original works at copyright.gov.