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Cartoonists Across America believes that literacy is the key to solving all major social and economic problems on the planet. Founded in 1985 with the purpose of using cartoons and humor to promote literacy, creativity, and other important issues, it is a nonprofit organization pledged to tour North America for 15 years (1986-2000) in an attempt to reach, through visual arts like cartoons, an entire generation accustomed to watching television, video, and film. Cartoonists Across America promotes literacy by painting murals, city buses, recycling trucks, vans, billboards, and anything else that might attract both media and public attention. These literacy murals have appeared in 48 states, three Canadian provinces, and Budapest, Hungary. Cartoonists Across America has also created more than 30 books, distributed in more than 1 million copies, connecting the issue of literacy to other important problems. It has also produced T-shirts, posters, bumper stickers, and other promotional items.
The Center for Accelerating Literacy (CAL) is a nonprofit organization supporting schools and programs that bring reading to young people. CAL has a three-part mission: (1) to promote the reading ability of young people and adults; (2) to provide educators at all levels with information and models of best practice that will assist them in teaching young people and adults to read; and (3) to disseminate information about models of best practice in the teaching of reading to the education community and to parents through a variety of channels.
The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress was established by Public Law 95-129, on October 13, 1977, to stimulate public interest in books, reading, and libraries and to encourage the study of books and print. It works closely with other organizations to improve understanding of the vital role of books, reading, libraries, and literacy. A partnership between the government and the private sector, the center depends primarily on annual, tax-deductible contributions from corporations and individuals to support its projects, symposia, exhibits, and publications. Using private funds, it sponsors projects of interest to the general public and scholars. It serves as a catalyst and a source of ideas -- both nationally and internationally -- through an ever-expanding network of affiliated centers in more than 30 states and a reading promotion partnership program that includes more than 100 national, civic, and education organizations.
The Chautauqua Institution, founded on Chautauqua Lake in southwestern New York in 1874, is an international center for the arts, education, religion, and recreation. The promotion of reading is fundamental to its mission. Chautauqua's programs in lifelong learning include a 30,000-volume public library, the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle (the oldest reading club in the country), and some 300 special studies classes for all ages. Chautauqua is also known for its lectures, which present diverse points of view on a series of nine weekly topics each summer.
The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA), established in 1920, is a federation of over 800 public and voluntary child welfare agencies that work with children and their families on such issues as child abuse and neglect, adolescent pregnancy, out-of-home care, and adoption. As part of the America 2000 Coalition, CWLA collaborates with other national organizations to promote literacy. It is the largest publisher of child welfare materials in the United States.
The Children's Book Council is a nonprofit organization that encourages the reading and enjoyment of children's books. Members are publishers of trade books for children and young adults.
The Children's Television Workshop produces Sesame Street, Ghostwriter, CRO, Creative Classroom, Kid City, 3-2-1 Contact, and Big Bag television-based projects designed to (1) encourage children to enjoy and value reading and writing, (2) show children how to use effective reading and writing strategies, and (3) provide children with compelling opportunities to read and write. The company's expertise extends over a range of media including television, home video, software, publishing, as well as licensed products and community outreach efforts.
The Christian Booksellers Association is a trade association of some 3,000 retailers and suppliers specializing in books on Christian issues but including other items in the Christian retail business. The promotion of literacy and reading contributes directly to the welfare of the association, its members, and the general public.
The Church and Synagogue Library Association, founded in 1967, provides inspirational and educational guidance nationally for persons establishing or administering the libraries of religious congregations.
Cities in Schools (CIS) champions the connection of needed community resources with schools to help young people successfully learn, stay in school, and prepare for life. A typical team of community service providers might consist of health professionals, counselors, and career specialists. They are joined by volunteers who tutor, mentor, and offer role models for children. The business community provides incentives, job opportunities, and sponsorship. Local CIS programs reach more than 200,000 children at 1,000 education sites every year.
The Congress of National Black Churches, founded in 1978, unites eight of the nation's historic African American religious denominations: African Methodist Episcopal, African Methodist Episcopal Zion, Christian Methodist Episcopal, Church of God in Christ, National Baptist Convention of America, Inc., National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., National Missionary Baptist Convention of America, and Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc. This coalition represents over 65,000 churches and approximately 19 million congregants. The promotion of literacy and reading is an integral part of Project Spirit, a three-part program that addresses the needs of black children, their parents, and pastors through an after-school tutorial program to enhance life skills; a parent education program; and a pastoral counseling training program. The premise of Project Spirit is that the African American church is the primary and probably the only institutional structure in the African American community that can effectively help large numbers of black families rear their children and provide the cultural context desperately needed to enrich, support, and guide the education and growth of African American youth.
Created with bipartisan support by Congress, the President, and community groups nationwide in 1993, the Corporation for National Service is a public and private partnership that administers three national service initiatives: (1) AmeriCorps, which has more than 400 local and national sponsors, as well as AmeriCorps Vista and AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps, (2) National Senior Service Corps, which encompasses Foster Grandparents, Senior Companions, and the Retired and Senior Volunteer program, and (3) Learn and Serve America,which provides models and resources for teachers integrating service into classrooms from kindergarten through college.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is a nonprofit, nongovernmental agency created by Congress to support high-quality cultural, educational, and informational programing for the American public. To fulfill this mission, CPB funds radio and television programs for national audiences and distributes direct grants to 584 CPB-supported public radio stations and to 351 public television stations in the United States and its territories. CPB's Office of Education has taken the lead in applying advanced technologies to the reform of America's schools, colleges, and universities. By making it possible for education information to be transmitted in a variety of ways to a variety of users, from preschool pupils through postgraduate scholars and employees in need of more rigorous workplace training, CPB hopes to help the nation grapple with the extraordinary educational challenges it faces.
The Correctional Education Association (CEA), founded in 1946, is a nonprofit professional association serving educators and administrators who provide services to students in correctional settings. The goals of CEA are to increase the effectiveness, expertise, and skills of its members; to encourage its members to participate in an active and supportive network of professionals who are leaders in the field of correctional education; to help improve the quality of educational programs and services for technical assistance; to offer timely and practical information to fellow staff members; and to represent the collective interests of correctional education before the government, the press, and the public on the international, national, state, provincial, and local levels. Because 75 percent of the U.S. adult prison population is functionally illiterate, the promotion of literacy education and reading is fundamental to the work of the CEA.
The Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition is a nonprofit education organization that promotes high-quality child care by providing performance-based training, assessment, and credentialing of early childhood professionals. The council administers the Child Development Associate (CDA) National Credentialing Program; there are more than 80,000 CDAs located in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and U.S. Virgin Islands. Literacy and reading are essential for lifelong learning and professional development.
The Council for Educational Development and Research is a nonprofit organization for institutions that engages in research, development, and related services. Its members use research knowledge to improve elementary and secondary education and to create the new knowledge vital for improving education. The council provides a forum for developing consensus among its membership about issues relating to the conduct of research and development and its application to education practice and policy. It synthesizes existing research and the wisdom from practice into discussions, forums, and documents that are designed to keep policy makers, education writers, and other key groups and individuals abreast of the latest education research and development information.
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