Global 30 Under 30 List Honors Literacy Leaders From 13 Countries

NEWARK, Del., Jan. 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Literacy Association (ILA), a global advocacy and membership organization advocating for evidence-based literacy instruction and equitable educational policies, released its 2019 30 Under 30 list today. The biennial list recognizes rising leaders in the literacy field—a cohort of young innovators, disruptors and visionaries creating positive change in the global literacy landscape.

"The individuals on this list are solving critical issues—issues many of them have faced on their own paths to success," says ILA Executive Director Marcie Craig Post. "Their contributions are paving the way to more accessible and equitable literacy learning in their schools, communities and beyond. It's an honor to recognize these young leaders whose vision and tenacity are transforming our world."

Representing 13 countries, the list of honorees includes educators, school administrators, nonprofit leaders, authors, volunteers, researchers and social entrepreneurs. The list celebrates changemakers such as:

• Gerald Dessus, 29, a middle school teacher at Mastery Charter Schools, Shoemaker Campus in West Philadelphia, who designed and piloted a social justice curriculum that has since been adopted by six other Mastery campuses
• Freshta Karim, 26, founder of Charmaghz, a mobile library that brings books and learning opportunities to more than 200 children a day in Kabul, Afghanistan
• Marley Dias, who, at 11 years old, started the viral #1000BlackGirlBooks campaign because she was tired of the lack of black female protagonists in the books she read at school. Now 14, the New Jersey native is a published author who has leveraged her social media platform to foster conversations about activism, social justice, volunteerism, equality, inclusion and representation.

ILA's 2019 30 Under 30 list also includes:

• Patrick Burke, 27, Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
• Allister Chang, 28, Executive Director, Libraries Without Borders, Washington, DC, U.S.
• Mu-Tien Chen, 27, Cofounder, Aestheticell Association, Taipei, Taiwan
• Katie Duffy, 28, Year 5 Teacher, Mona Vale Public School, Sydney, Australia
• Elaysel Germán, 27, Literacy Manager, NIA Community Services Network, New York, U.S.
• Sarah Grant, 29, Head of Partnerships and Programmes, LRTT: Limited Resource Teacher Training, Christchurch, New Zealand
• Mahbuba Hammad, 29, Literacy Research Director, Center for Languages, Arts, and Societies of the Silk Road, California, U.S.
• Farhana Hoque, 29, ELA Teacher, Midwood High School, New York, U.S.
• Alex Lim, 29, Cofounder, MYReaders Resources, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Karlos Marshall, 28, President and Cofounder, The Conscious Connect, Ohio, U.S.
• Yessica Martinez, 25, Poet and Teaching Artist; MFA Student, Cornell University, New York, U.S.
• Marina Meić, 27, Vice President, Croatian Reading Association Split Branch, Split, Croatia
• Henry "Cody" Miller, 29, ELA Teacher, P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School, Florida, U.S.
• Maria Morfin, 29, Dean, KIPP Sol Academy, California, U.S.
• Danje Morris, 29, First-Grade Teacher, Indian Valley Elementary School, Alabama, U.S.
• Nangamso Mtsatse, 27, Doctoral Student, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
• Jean d'Amour Ndahayo, 29, President, Magirirane Development in Peace, Kigali, Rwanda
• Hayley Niad, 29, Education Advisor, Cambridge Education, Washington, DC, U.S. and Mozambique
• Matt Panozzo, 27, Seventh-Grade ELA Teacher, Annunciation Orthodox School, Texas, U.S.
• Eugene Pringle Jr., 29, Assistant Principal, Odyssey Middle School, Florida, U.S.
• Daniel Reichard, 29, Fifth-Grade Teacher, Kate Waller Barrett Elementary School, Virginia, U.S.
• Jacob Olaoluwa Sule, 28, Founder, iRead To Live Initiative, Abuja, Nigeria
• Kirsten Musetti Tivaringe, 29, Instructor and Doctoral Student, University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado, U.S.
• Francis Jim Tuscano, 29, Head EdTech Coach, Xavier School, Manila, Philippines
• Michelle Valerio, 28, Assistant Principal, Randallstown Elementary School, Maryland, U.S.
• Nandini Varma, 26, Cofounder, Airplane Poetry Movement, Pune, India
• Shontoria Walker, 28, Instructional Coach, Empowerment High School, Texas, U.S.

ILA's 30 Under 30 honorees are featured in the January/February issue of Literacy Today, ILA's bimonthly magazine, which published today. To view the Literacy Today feature and read more about the honorees' accomplishments, visit .

About the International Literacy Association

The International Literacy Association (ILA) is a global advocacy and membership organization dedicated to advancing literacy for all through its network of more than 300,000 literacy educators, researchers and experts across 146 countries. With over 60 years of experience, ILA has set the standard for how literacy is defined, taught and evaluated. ILA's Standards for the Preparation of Literacy Professionals 2017 provides an evidence-based benchmark for the development and evaluation of literacy professional preparation programs. ILA collaborates with partners across the world to develop, gather and disseminate high-quality resources, best practices and cutting-edge research to empower educators, inspire students and inform policymakers. ILA publishes The Reading Teacher, Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy and Reading Research Quarterly, which are peer reviewed and edited by leaders in the field. For more information, visit .

Alina O'Donnell
609.280.3905

View original content to download multimedia:

SOURCE International Literacy Association