Literacy Partners

Our English for Parents class recently graduated! We love celebrating achievements and milestones with our students. We hope everyone has a fun, safe, and restful summer! #english #learning #reading #language #class #graduation #student

The Board of Directors of Literacy Partners is pleased to announce the appointment of Asaf Bar-Tura, PhD as its new Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Bar-Tura will assume leadership of the organization on July 22, 2024. With a rich background in educational leadership and nonprofit management, Dr. Bar-Tura brings over 20 years of experience in transformative nonprofit leadership to the role. He most recently served as Executive Director at SMART, based in San Francisco, CA, where he successfully expanded educational programs, increased funding, and fostered community partnerships. Throughout his career, Dr. Bar-Tura has held several leadership positions with organizations including The Posse Foundation, the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, and the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center. Dr. Bar-Tura holds a PhD in Political Theory and a Master's in Philosophy from Loyola University Chicago, and earned a Bachelor's in Philosophy and Political Science from Ben-Gurion University. He is currently participating in Stanford University’s Executive Leadership Program at the Graduate School of Business. “I am honored to join Literacy Partners, which has been a leader in advancing educational access, social mobility, and economic opportunity. Reading changes everything, and I am excited to partner with the staff, board, and the Literacy Partners community to continue transforming lives in the organization’s next phase of growth and impact," said Dr. Bar-Tura. Literacy Partners has been serving the New York City community for 50 years, providing vital educational resources and support to adults seeking to improve their lives through learning. The organization is dedicated to addressing the educational needs of adults while also supporting their children through its unique two-generation approach to education. "We are thrilled to welcome Asaf to the team," said Courtney E. K. Lewis, Chair of the Board of Directors at Literacy Partners. "The Board and I were impressed with his strategic mindset, creativity, thoughtfulness, transparency, and commitment to empowering his team members. As Literacy Partners embarks on its next 50 years of service, we are confident Asaf’s leadership will play a pivotal role in furthering the organization’s important work.” With Dr. Bar-Tura’s demonstrated track record of effective organizational management and his commitment as a leader focused on equity, social justice, and community partnership, Literacy Partners is poised to grow its impact in New York and throughout the country. For more information about Literacy Partners, please visit www.literacypartners.org or contact Kristine Cooper at KristineC@literacypartners.org. https://lnkd.in/gYeyfTcK

💙 What a night! On Monday night we celebrated our annual Evening of Readings & Gala Dinner at Pier Sixty in New York City to honor the organization’s 50th anniversary and the power of literacy. Hosted by award-winning journalist Cynthia McFadden, the event honored recipients across multiple categories and organizations, including: - The Literacy Leadership Award recognizes HarperCollins’s 200-year legacy of promoting literary excellence and thanks them for bolstering our literacy initiatives. HarperCollins has also partnered with Literacy Partners for over 30 years. - The Lifetime Achievement Award acknowledges former Simon & Schuster Editor and author Michael Korda’s indelible mark on the publishing world and commitment to advancing literacy. - The Spirit of Literacy Award signifies Deborah Roberts and Al Roker’s dedication to literacy, as award-winning authors and journalists, inspiring countless individuals for decades. - The prestigious LIZZIE Award pays tribute to Elizabeth T. Peabody, a close friend of our patron saint, Liz Smith, and someone who embodies Lizzie’s tireless devotion to promoting literacy. The Champion of Literacy Award honored four extraordinary literary powerhouses: - Julia Alvarez, a pioneering and widely-recognized Dominican-American author whose 50-year career has amplified the voices of Latina authors. - Viola Davis, Academy Award-winning actress, producer, New York Times bestselling author, and founder of JVL Media, which gives voice to underrepresented authors. - Ethan Hawke, four-time Academy Award®-nominated artist and one of Hollywood’s most multi-faceted stars: actor, screenwriter, director, producer, and best-selling novelist. - Anthony Tassi, Literacy Partners CEO, whose visionary leadership over the past 11 years has profoundly impacted the organization’s mission. 🎶 Guests enjoyed a special performance by Rare__Vintage and music composed by JB Bontemps. ✨ Thanks to all who attended in support of our mission to help parents transform their lives to create a brighter future for their families. ✨

We were proud to honor our amazing partnership with HarperCollins Publishers as well as #ViolaDavis. #itslist #gala #50 #literacy #powerofliteracy

📖 Attention! Your voice matters in shaping the future of early education in our city. NYC Council members will soon decide how to allocate $111.6 billion of public money and you can send a clear message by signing the petition in support of FREE early learning programming. ✍ Sign now: https://lnkd.in/eA6mEWtY

💙 We have an inspiring evening planned for our special 50th anniversary! 💙 Our 2024 Evening of Readings & Gala Dinner will take place on Monday, June 10, 2024, at Pier Sixty in New York City. Our Champions of Literacy this year include Julia Alvarez, award-winning author & poet, Viola Davis, Academy Award-winning actress, Ethan Hawke, actor, director & author, and our CEO, Anthony Tassi. Former Simon & Schuster Editor and author Michael Korda will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. HarperCollins Publishers will be presented with the Literacy Partnership Award. ABC News Anchor and author Deborah Roberts and TODAY Anchor and author Al Roker will be presented with the Spirit of Literacy Award. Board President, Droste Mental Health Services, Elizabeth T. Peabody, will receive the Lizzie Award. The dinner will be hosted by Cynthia McFadden. For over 35 years, The Evening of Readings has been a big night of celebration and a gathering of people who want to help parents transform their lives to create a brighter future for their families. ✨ Click the link to purchase your table or tickets now: https://lnkd.in/gG5TYvSg ✨

Yesterday, our Chief External Affairs Officer, Kristine Cooper, discussed financial literacy and the basics of career planning with students from P.S. 11. Thank you to the Dow Jones Foundation for the invite!

🚲 What a ride! 🚲 This past weekend, our #SpeedReaders participated in the Five Boro Bike Tour in NYC! We are so proud of their fundraising efforts; over $6000 will go toward our literacy programs. 👏 Please give them a big round of applause! 👏 #BikeforBooks @bikenewyork #nyc #fiveborobiketour #newyorkcity #rider #biketour

🚲 This weekend is the Five Boro Bike Tour! 🚲 Good luck to all of our #SpeedReaders for the big event. Fabienne Laraque Deborah Bliss Debbie Meyer Joseph Camille Sheila Damato Heather Mount Marcus Hall Maggie Bellhorn Chris Jaeger Each of our riders is required to raise a minimum of $500. Click the link to make a last-minute donation to show your support: https://lnkd.in/gfdb687B All donations go towards our mission: to help adults transform their lives and create a brighter future for their children through the power of literacy. #fiveborobiketour #nyc #newyorkcity #biketour #rider

🎉 We are thrilled to share that Literacy Partners is the winner of the 2024 Mayoral Service Recognition Youth Impact Award! NYC Service has awarded us this accolade for serving the community and leveraging our power to forge a future of vibrant and inclusive growth for New Yorkers. We couldn't have achieved this without the extraordinary dedication and work of our volunteers who go above and beyond to serve our students: "Parents look to us for the opportunity to transform their lives and create a brighter future for their children," said Amber Doniere, Volunteer Manager at Literacy Partners, "And we look to volunteers to help us make the magic happen. Fortunately, in New York, there are many people who are ready and able to make a difference through volunteering." Yesterday, at a ceremony at Gracie Mansion, we received the award and celebrated NYC Service's 15th anniversary. It was an honor to be recognized alongside other outstanding organizations doing amazing things for our community. 🙋♀️ Want to make a difference and volunteer with us? Click here --> https://lnkd.in/g7eMvMqG