Mayor Blangiardi Proclaims September 8th Hawaii Literacy 50th Anniversary Day
Recognition bestowed on International Literacy Day
HONOLULU – September 8, 2021 – Mayor Rick Blangiardi proclaimed Wednesday, September 8, 2021 Hawaii Literacy 50th Anniversary Day. The proclamation comes as the organization celebrates its milestone anniversary of empowering Hawaii’s children and adults with essential reading, writing, and lifelong learning skills.
Hawaii Literacy 50th Anniversary Day recognizes that one in six adults in Hawaii struggle with reading and writing, and 50 percent of children from low-income communities can be up to two years behind their peers when entering first grade. The statistics underscore the impacts that low literacy rates have on adverse health outcomes and increased poverty rates in underserved communities.
Since its founding in 1971, Hawaii Literacy has given adults the opportunity to learn to read and write through its Adult Literacy program which matches learners with trained tutors in one-to-one tutoring sessions. The organization’s Bookmobile program aims to close the youth literacy gap and helps children succeed in school by bringing books and literacy-related activities to underserved communities on Oahu and Hawaii Island.
“We are so grateful to Mayor Blangiardi for recognizing the essential role that literacy plays in our everyday lives,” said Jill Takasaki Canfield, executive director of Hawaii Literacy. “As we celebrate our 50th anniversary, we hope to reach even more adults and children with our programs so that the lack of literacy is no longer a barrier to better jobs, finishing school or enjoying a book together as a family.”
About Hawaii Literacy
Hawaii Literacy’s mission is to empower Hawaii’s children and adults with essential reading, writing, and lifelong learning skills to strengthen themselves, families and communities. Founded in 1971, the organization provides adult literacy tutoring programs on Oahu, Kauai, and Hawaii Island, and a youth Bookmobile program on Oahu and Hawaii Island. To learn more, visit hawaiiliteracy.org.