United Through Reading Launches Literacy Advisory Council at Annual Tribute to Military Families
July 22, 2021
Media contact: jessicahall@utr.org
Washington, D.C. — United Through Reading (UTR) announced the formation of a new Literacy Advisory Council tonight at their Tribute to Military Families in Washington, D.C. The new council will support United Through Reading’s mission and Board of Trustees by providing guidance and recommendations on trends in literacy, resources, and partnership opportunities.
“The Council will be comprised of a diverse group of experts to include educators, publishers, authors, military life style specialists, and others who will focus on the impact that United Through Reading has on the literacy in the homes of military families and how we can enhance that impact through learnings from research,”said Dr. Sally Ann Zoll, chief executive officer of United Through Reading.
The Council includes:
- Dr. Patrick Bingham, Educator & Military Lifestyle
- Ms. Verenice Castillo, Military Spouse Advocacy Network
- Ms. Bonnie Kintzer, Trusted Media Brands Inc. and Reader’s Digest Foundation
- Ms. Alicia Levi, Reading Is Fundamental
- Dr. Susan Neuman, New York University
- Dr. Mark Pisano, School Psychologist II, Fort Bragg Schools, Dept. of Defense
- Mrs. Jessica Saum, Association of American Educators
- Mrs. Jamilah Stanfield, Black Military Wives
- Ms. Denine Torr, Dollar General Literacy Foundation
- Ms. Julia Yeary, Zero to Three
United Through Reading honors military families annually at their event in Washington, D.C. This year they focused on the impact that COVID-19 had on military families and how reading together builds resilience for the entire family. Their recent white paper, “Reading & Resiliency: Making Literacy a Military Community Priority” outlines the importance of the act of reading especially in light of the current COVID-19 learning environment and stress that the global pandemic has created.
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About United Through Reading
United Through Reading keeps military families reading together, no matter the distance between them. Families stay connected through video recordings of storytime and books, sent to military families to help ease the stress of separation, maintain positive emotional connections, and cultivate a love of reading and early childhood literacy. Service members and veterans can record a story for their family at more than 200 United Through Reading recording locations worldwide, as well as on their mobile device with our free and secure reading App. Since 1989, 2.5 million military members and their families have benefited from the program.