The Californer - READ Global Named Library of Congress Literacy Awards Honoree

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SAN FRANCISCO - Californer -- READ Global has been recognized as a Successful Practice Honoree in the 2025 Library of Congress Literacy Awards, which celebrate exemplary, innovative, and sustainable efforts to advance literacy and reading worldwide.

The award, announced today on International Literacy Day, highlights READ's work in Nepal, India, and Bhutan, where it partners with communities to establish self-sustaining, community-owned library and resource centers known as READ Centers. Founded on a model of community co-investment and sustained through local enterprises launched alongside the Centers, READ Centers are designed to endure for generations. They serve as inclusive hubs where literacy is nurtured as part of lifelong learning, leadership development, and active citizenship.

"This recognition from the Library of Congress affirms the power of READ's community-driven approach," said Sanjana Shrestha, Executive Director of READ Global. "The award belongs to the women, men, and young people who have built and sustained these Centers, proving that when communities lead, lasting transformation follows."

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2025 marks the thirteenth year that the Library of Congress Literacy Awards Program has recognized organizations for their outstanding achievements in advancing literacy. Additional information about the 2025 awardees is available on the Library of Congress Literacy Awards website at www.loc.gov/literacy (http://www.loc.gov/literacy?utm_source=chatgpt.com).

About READ Global
READ believes lasting change begins when communities take the lead. That's why we partner with rural communities in Nepal, India, and Bhutan to establish locally owned library and resource centers (READ Centers) that grow into hubs for learning, opportunity, and leadership—sustaining impact for generations.

Today, a network of 139 self-sustaining READ Centers provides more than 2 million people with access to spaces where learning thrives, leadership grows, and local voices shape the future. Built with community co-investment and sustained through local enterprises launched alongside them, READ Centers rarely close once established, enduring as vibrant community institutions.

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Critical to this longevity is READ's community-driven approach. READ facilitators walk alongside communities through every stage of Center creation, ensuring that each reflects local needs and aspirations—especially voices too often overlooked. In this process, community members strengthen collaboration, conflict resolution, and inclusive decision-making skills, while building the confidence to lead.

This creates a powerful ripple effect: women inspire friends to join literacy classes, entrepreneurs launch businesses and hire neighbors, and children raised in the Centers return as volunteer leaders. Programs such as Tech Age Girls (TAG) magnify this cycle—1,071 graduates have already reached more than 50,000 of their peers through cascade training and community projects—showing how READ equips the next generation to carry forward literacy, leadership, and transformation.