Library of Congress honours literacy programs

NEW YORK – Three literacy and educational organizations are being honoured by the Library of Congress, with cash awards totalling $250,000.

On Friday, Reading is Fundamental, located in Washington, D.C., received the $150,000 David M. Rubenstein Prize. New York City’s East Side Community School was given the $50,000 American Prize. The Pedagogical Institute for Language Problems (Instituto Pedagógico para Problemas del Lenguaje), based in Mexico City, was awarded the $50,000 International Prize.

The prizes were presented by Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden and by Rubenstein, a business executive and philanthropist and who established the literacy awards in 2013.

The Library of Congress Literacy Awards program also honoured such organizations as Project Read, from Provo Utah, and the Philadelphia Office of Adult Education.