Reading and Literacy Summit

Lions Clubs International is hosting a Reading and Literacy Summit on Wednesday, May 1, 2013 at Lions Clubs International Headquarters to discuss the role of civil society in advancing global literacy and inclusive education.

The event will bring together 25 to 30 organizations — representing a cross section of intergovernmental organizations, development agencies, non-profit organizations and for-profit companies, to engage in discussions related to capacity building within the education sector, promotion of early reading, considerations for people with disabilities, and the use of innovative, low-cost technologies.  

Summit Topics

• Accelerating Progress toward Global Literacy. What has been achieved?  What still needs to be done?  How do we get there? What is the role of civil society?
• Advancing Literacy through Early Reading and Book Distribution.  Why is early reading important? What can be done at the community level to promote early reading?  What are the best means to distribute low-cost, age- and culturally appropriate books to children in need?
• Expanding Inclusion: Considerations for People with Visual Impairments and Other Disabilities. What are some of the most important barriers for inclusion and how do we overcome them? How do we strengthen the education sector and community involvement in order to create learning environments that support the needs of children with different abilities? How can the provision of vision care play a role in improving school performance?
• Transforming Literacy/Reading Through Technology: The Role/Use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) How can e-readers, mobile technologies, and other innovative tools help improve reading and literacy? How can digital technology be used to expand resources for people with vision loss and other disabilities?

Participants include:

• Aga Khan Foundation
• American Foundation for the Blind
• Benetech Initiative Bookshare
• Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
• CARE
• Hadley School for the Blind
• Johnson & Johnson Vision Care
• Microsoft
• Nokia
• Perkins School for the Blind
• Reach Out and Read (ROR)
• Reading Is Fundamental (RIF)
• Scholastic International
• Special Olympics
• United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
• United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
• World Education
• World Vision

Join Us

Lions are encouraged to join the online discussions that will take place through our social media channels. We will live-tweet during the event. Please be sure to tune in online at 8:30am (CST) on Wednesday May 1, 2013.