Leap for Literacy: Take Your Reading Sky High
On Saturday, September 12, 2009, Utah children’s author, Jill Vanderwood will take a Leap For Literacy by skydiving from 12,500 feet in Ogden Utah. Why? To raise funds and awareness for literacy. Two charities will benefit from her Leap: the Literacy Action Center in Salt Lake City, and the Reading Tub in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Jill, who is a grandmother of six and an award-winning children’s author, chose September 12 because it is Grandparent’s Day. This Leap for Literacy kicks off the launch of What’s It Like Living Green, Leap for Literacy school recycling campaign. Jill has combined the need for a clean environment with the growing need for literacy awareness.
You can support Jill and literacy by making a donation the Literacy Action Center or the Reading Tub between now and September 12. I tried to embed the video Jill sent me of her test run, but I can’t get it to work … so head over to her website to check it out.
The Literacy Action Center is an active learning center which helps adults to be successful in their homes and communities. Approximately 70,000 adults in Salt Lake and Davis Counties can’t read two syllable words. This means they can’t read bedtime stories to their children, labels on medicine bottles, or notes from their employers. Donations to the Literacy Action Center in Salt Lake City will be used to teach adult learners to read. To make a donation or learn how to help, visit the Literacy Action Center website.
The Reading Tub is a volunteer-driven nonprofit for children’s literacy. Books donated to us for reviews are placed with at-risk readers and readers in need when we are finished. We have two community literacy projects: our Use Your ABCs program is a classroom-based project to help dormant and struggling readers; Read it Together is a project to encourage parents to read with their kids by providing books to pediatricians. Your donation will be used to provide materials to libraries and classrooms in Title I schools.
Jill Ammon Vanderwood is the author of four children’s books, including What’s It Like Living Green? Kids Teaching Kids, by the Way They Live. Jill hopes to make a difference for the next generation. You can learn more about Jill, her books, and her projects to make a difference on her author website.
For information about literacy programs in your area, contact America’s Literacy Directory.
I nominated YOU for a Kreativ Blogger Award, because I like what you do for children’s books and our shared artistic community! Check out my blog to claim the logo, http://saradobie.wordpress.com, and keep up the amazing work. Woohooo!
What a beautiful logo! Thank you so much for the nomination. We love sharing ideas for reading and are so grateful for the opportunity to *chat* about our passion with so many like-minded friends. I’m not sure I could pick just a few to tag, so I very graciously accept your nomination and will celebrate ALL of us who love kids and children’s books.
How inspiring! Literacy and the environment are both causes which affect us all. Thank you for supporting them in such creative ways.
WOW, simply wow on the skydiving grandmom! And thank you to all of you for combining the ‘green” with the literacy emphasis…terrific!