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Welcome to World Literacy Initiative!
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World Literacy Initiative is a 501 (c)(3) private, non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO) incorporated and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia in the United States. Its mission is to work towards improving literacy and basic education throughout the developing world. Although its work to date has been exclusively in sub-Saharan Africa, it is concerned with developing nations everywhere.

Its strategy for achieving its mission goal is to make especially effective educational methods freely available to the people of developing nations. Attaining quality education - and female literacy most particularly - are fundamental first steps to reducing poverty, to eliminating the oppression of women, and to freeing the potential of a new generation.

Some of Ethiopia's school children.

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During the First Nine Years

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World Literacy Initiative’s Annual Reception Where we are . . . Where we’re going!
		Supporters, well-wishers, and interested others are invited to join Executive Director, Jan Heckler and the World Literacy Initiative (WLI) Board with very special guest, Dr. Eugene J. Gangarosa (one of the fathers of Oral Rehydration Therapy [ORT]) at WLI’s annual reception Sunday, June 12^th immediately following worship until about 12:45 in the Fellowship Hall of North Decatur Presbyterian Church (NDPC).
	Enjoy a light lunch while listening to Dr. Gangarosa’s remarks and then Jan’s brief report along with her latest PowerPoint concerning the consultancy and impact study WLI will conduct beginning early 2012 in Malawi. Please join us to learn more about World Literacy Initiative and its vision for 2011-2013.
	DIRECTIONS to NORTH DECATUR PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (NDPC)
	From I-285 North or South on the East side 1. Head south on I-285 S 2. Take exit 39A to merge onto US-78 W toward Atlanta/Decatur ~3.1 mi 3. Turn right at Medlock Rd Destination will be on the right ~371 ft.; See Fellowship Hall* ================= * n.b. -Fellowship hall is the large building to the immediate left of the church sanctuary: North Decatur Presbyterian Church 611 Medlock Rd Decatur, GA 30033	================= From I-85 going north or south, 1. Exit I-85 and head south on GA-155 S/US-23 S/Clairemont Rd toward I- 85 Access Rd NE ~3.7 mi 2. Turn left at N Decatur Rd ~1.0 mi 2. Take exit 39A to merge onto US-78 W toward Atlanta/Decatur ~3.1 mi 3. Turn left at Medlock Rd; Destination will be on the right ~364 ft.; See Fellowship Hall* ================= From in town or from the I-75/I-85 ‘Connector’ – take Freedom Pkwy exit and head East 1. Head east on Freedom Pkwy toward Boulevard NE ~1.6 mi 2. Turn right at Ponce De Leon Ave NE ~2.8 mi 3. Continue onto Scott Blvd ~2.0 mi 4. Turn left at Medlock Rd Destination will be on the right ~364 ft.; See Fellowship Hall*

Margaret P. Collier Elected as Chairperson of the Board of Directors.

Margaret Collier, a founding board member of World Literacy Initiative was unanimously elected to the board's highest post at the board's last regular meeting 7 DEC 2010. Charles Dewald, current chair, will retire from active board duty and assume the position of Board Member Emeritus in 2011.

Ms. Collier is no newcomer to the challenges and demands of high echelon leadership responsibilities. She is CEO of SummitRidge Hospital in Gwinnett County GA, a Joint Commission (JCAHO) accredited mental health and substance abuse facility with an annual multi-million dollar budget, hundreds of employees and the lives and well-being of scores of clients in her charge. Before that, she was Chief of Operations at three other local residential and outpatient MH/SA organizations and has been Chief of Operations of World Literacy Initiative since its inception in 2000.

Ms. Collier is a member of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, an active surveyor for CARF - the national accrediting agency, and a member of Rotary International. She is a graduate of Auburn University where she received her doctoral education in Organizational Psychology. Collier also has two grown sons and makes her home in the Atlanta area with her husband of 30+ years, Chris.

The long-awaited publication of World Literacy Initiative's new textbook, Teaching Methods That Really Work! has finally happened. The book has a number of novel features which are significant in themselves but which together distinguish it from any other that has appeared before it.

The methods included in this text were selected only for their outstanding empirical support (direct and systematic replications in peer-reviewed professional journals and the greatest promise for boosting academic achievement in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). No other criteria were used.

· The text applies an atheoretical, non-commercial perspective throughout. Thus, free of theoretical obligations and the influences of profit motives, the text simply describes the most effective methods and evidence based ’best practices’ for their use with straightforward clarity.

· The text is double-columned throughout, has more than one hundred fifty color pictures and tables, and is written at a reading level designed to specifically accommodate 2^nd and 3^rd language users of English. Thus, the book’s reading level, appearance, language, and style facilitate reading and reading comprehension by SSA 2^nd and 3^rd language users of English. And,

· The text uses SSA curricula, common cultural settings, and contextual cues familiar to the student teacher for descriptions, examples and teacher activities. Thus, the book is linguistically and culturally accommodating and the process of contextualization is already begun within the pages of the text.

Independent reviewers of Teaching Methods That Really Work! strongly endorse it,

New Teacher Textbook Published

”The positive impact on student achievement
as these strategies are implemented
should be staggering.”

- Andrea Clements, Ph. D.
East Tennessee State University

”(This text) provides a treasure trove
of effective practices . . .
practices that have a clear
unequivocal history of success . . .”

– Michael Maloney
Canada’s National Literacy Educator, 2001

”This text is a must read
for new teachers, seasoned teachers, and
anyone interested in changing the face
of the world by improving instruction.”

– Janet Twyman, Ph. D.
Vice President of Instructional Development,
Research, and Implementation
Headsprout

”. . . a remarkable accomplishment. . . .”

– H. S. Pennypacker, Ph. D.
University of Florida

World Literacy Initiative has been shipping texts to key decision makers of developing countries in Africa. After countries have had a chance to review it, it is hoped to follow-up with first hand provision of technical assistance and consultancy as they begin to adopt the evidence based methods contained in the book. The beginning of revolutionary change begins.

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$417 Million Funding Package
for Educational Improvement in Ethiopia Announced

World Literacy Initiative announced in January that in part through its efforts throughout much of 2008, the government of Ethiopia was awarded $417 million in budgetary re-directs, World Bank loans and a major grant-in-aid package aimed at improving the quality of education over the next four years. Mostly in the form of grants from five European donor nations and the World Bank, the investment is the result of one and a half years of planning by a team of national and international consultants. World Literacy Initiative was active throughout this period but intensively so from early March 2008 onward just before the World Bank began its formal consultancy with the project. The European donor nations involved were the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Italy, Finland, and Ireland.

The Ministry of Education
At Arrat Kilo in Addis Ababa

The Board of Directors meets on a quarterly basis or when called to do so by the Chairperson or a quorum of the board. It meets at 918 Ponce de Leon Avenue, N.E. Atlanta, GA 30306. World Literacy Initiative was incorporated on 25 May 2000.