GLP Convenes First District-wide Student Leadership Conference in Western Kenya

December 28, 2006.-GLP joined with the Kenyan community based organization PAMLO-Amagoro to convene a district-wide conference for primary and secondary school children. The conference marks a deepening of GLP's commitment to promote a culture of reading throughout the Teso district of Western Kenya. For the past five years GLP has been piloting its model in seven primary schools and five secondary schools. During 2006 PAMLO-Amagoro commissioned a review of the program that confirmed the impact of the pilot. The group then invited GLP to expand the project to all primary and secondary schools in Teso. The conference was thus the kick-off event that brought together students from every school as a prelude. More... [Video 1 | 2| 3 ]

GLP Distributes Over 30,000 Books to Young Readers for the Holiday Season Worldwide

December, 2006.-From the pre-schools of the Puerto Rican Action Board in New Brunswick, New Jersey (USA); to the children of seven Gauteng Province schools in South Africa; to primary school student representatives from 60+ schools in western Kenya; this holiday season sees the Global Literacy project distributing over 30,000 books to children all around the world. With book donations from bookstores, publishers, and public libraries as well as many individuals and civic groups across the USA, over 30,000 books will reach the hands of young readers.

<- Denniston Bonadie distributing books to preschoolers in New Jersey, USA

2006 "Make-A-Difference Day" Walkathon Targets Local and Global Causes

Walk Aims to Help Local New Brunswick Teen Center As Well As Provide Educational Materials for Sudanese Children in Refugee Camps

Saturday, October 28, 2006.-Nearly a dozen organizations came out to support the 2006 Make-A-Difference Day Walkathon in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Teams came from across the state--such as Trenton High School and South Plainfield High School--supporting the idea that people everywhere should have access to literacy. More...

Books for Halloween? Kids Get Candy with Healthy Dose of Reading Materials on the Side at the Rutgers University/City of New Brunswick "Monster Mash"

Friday, October 27, 2006.- GLP volunteers brought something a little bit different to this year's Halloween program. Along with candy and other such treats, some 100 families had the opportunity for their elementary school age kids to win books and dictionaries. GLP volunteers LeAnne Roberts and Valerie Thertus were very pleasantly surprised at how parents expressed enthusiasm for the literary twist on Halloween giving.

Children from local elementary and grammar schools as well as any children staying in local family shelters were invited to the Cook/Douglass Recreation Center-converted for the night into a mini-festival space with its own haunted house. More...

GLP Volunteers Help Raise Awareness and Funds for the People and Refugees of the Darfur Conflict With "Dance for Darfur" Event

Sunday, September 17, 2006.- GLP volunteers organized dance groups and speakers to raise awareness and funds for civilians impacted by the conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan. After more than three years of violent conflict and atrocities, millions are now hungry and displaced due to violence, and the latest research, published in September 2006 in the journal Science puts the numbers of deaths beyond those that would normally die in this area at "no fewer than 200,000." Event speakers expressed worries over a possible escalation of the conflict. Supporters of the event were encouraged to support the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Global Literacy Project Volunteers Load 20-foot Container of Books Destined for South African Rural Schools

Saturday, June 24, 2006.- GLP volunteers took receipt of a donation of books from the Old Bridge (New Jersey) school system. The books represent the district's old Harcourt Brace Language Arts Literacy elementary series that is no longer being used and ranged from first grade to fourth grade. They will be the cornerstone of our upcoming donation to rural schools in South Africa.

We are very grateful to the Old Bridge Board of Education, especially members Gail Kubicke and Carrie Shreder who helped to put together this donation, as well as Kevin Canton who was the pivotal liaison on the two Saturdays it took to get the books sorted and loaded. More...

Abundant Life Family Woship Center Members Show Their Support. To participate, contact Joyelle Harris at jejones@princeton.edu

GLP is pleased to partner with the Abundant Life Family Worship Church's R.E.A.C.H ministry (under the leadership of Bishop George C. Searight and Pastor Mary Searight) in a New Jersey-wide book drive to benefit GLP supported schools and libraries in South Africa.

They are collecting elementary to high school level textbooks as well as general reading books. The group will also have "volunteer days" for individuals and organizations to help sort and pack at 259 George St., New Brunswick.

Inaugural Shipment of Books Launches "Culture of Reading Campaign" with the Reading Association of Nigeria

May 2006.- In April 2006 GLP sent a 40 foot container of books to RAN which has now arrived. Some 80% of the books were delivered to the shipment's primary sponsor, Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU) at Ikeji Arakeji in Osun state while the remainder (20%) were for RAN’s direct use for primary and secondary school libraries.

The GLP-RAN campaign plans to identify twenty pilot schools. The schools will be from the six geopolitical zones of the country and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). In each school RAN will embark on a school based, school cluster, participatory capacity building program for teachers and pupils/students with the goal of increasing literacy and developing a culture of reading. More...