2005 Education Award Laureate
In2Books
| Laureate Country: United States |
| Project Country: USA |
| Website: www.in2books.org |
| Video: 2005Videos/In2Books.mov |
Project Overview:
In2Books' mission is to help all children become lifelong readers, writers, and thinkers by empowering them, their families, and teachers with resources and support. In2Books combines technology and research-based literacy curriculum in innovative ways that catalyze communities to work together to increase student achievement and enhance teachers' literacy instruction skills.
Problem Addressed:
Students who have low literacy skills at the end of third grade are unlikely to catch up. Low literacy skills prevent adults from realizing their full rights as citizens and are most acute among low-income students in urban areas. More than 40% of the adults with low literacy skills live below the poverty line and can expect a median income of $12,000 a year. 70% of prisoners have low literacy skills. Low literacy skills can be a barrier to breaking the cycle of poverty and leading a successful life.
Technology Solution:
In2Books has created the digital infrastructure that facilitates an online learning community. They combine a book distribution program to under-resourced schools, genre-specific content, a deep resource of mentors, and comprehensive professional development into a single, coherent program that creates a community of support for children, with students, pen pals, teachers, and families reading, discussing, and writing about books in a structured, digital network.
