WILMINGTON, Del. – The Library of Congress announced Monday that Reading Assist is a recipient of the international and highly-selective 2025 Library of Congress Literacy Awards Program as a Successful Practices Honoree.

The Library of Congress Literacy Awards Program honored 15 organizations — including Reading Assist — for their implementation of successful practices in literacy programming.

“We are honored to be named among the 15 organizations receiving this prestigious award — especially on International Literacy Day,” said Caroline O’Neal, CEO of Reading Assist. “This recognition reflects the trust of our partner schools and educators, dedication of our Fellows, including our AmeriCorps members, who work tirelessly every day to close the literacy gap. We’re in awe of our striving readers. We are deeply grateful to the Library of Congress for lifting up this work on the global stage.”

The Literacy Awards program, sponsored by David M. Rubenstein since 2013, and by the Kislak Family Foundation since 2023, honors promising initiatives that provide exemplary, innovative, and replicable strategies that promote literacy.

The Library of Congress continues to draw attention to the urgent need to achieve universal literacy through the program.

“This year’s winners and honorees, based in various states and countries, have a particular focus on family and community,” said Acting Librarian of Congress Robert Randolph Newlen. “Through the generosity of David M. Rubenstein and the Kislak Family Foundation, the Library of Congress is excited to recognize the organizations’ demonstrated efforts to improve individual literacy skills while also strengthening the communities they serve.”

2025 Successful Practices Honorees ($10,000)

The Library of Congress Literacy Awards Program honored 15 organizations for their implementation of successful practices in literacy programming. These honorees, recipients of $10,000 each, are:

  • Book Harvest’s Books from Birth Program, Durham, North Carolina
  • CitySchools Collaborative, Washington, District of Columbia
  • Digital Inquiry Group, Palo Alto, California
  • Indy Reads, Indianapolis, Indiana
  • Knowledge Empowering Youth, Nairobi, Kenya
  • NABU, New York, New York
  • NPR’s Student Podcast Challenge, Washington, District of Columbia
  • Philadelphia Writing Project, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • READ Global, San Francisco, California
  • Reading Assist, Wilmington, Delaware
  • Richland County Public Library’s Education Studio, Columbia, South Carolina
  • Scottish Book Trust’s Bookbug Program, Edinburgh, Scotland
  • SML Good Neighbors, Inc., Moneta, Virginia
  • Start a Library Trust’s The National Read Aloud Initiative, Nairobi, Kenya
  • WETA’s Colorín Colorado, Arlington, Virginia

Literacy Partners (New York, NY), Literacy Mid-South (Memphis, Tennessee), Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities’ Prime Time Family Reading Program (New Orleans, Louisiana), and Building Tomorrow (Indianapolis, Indiana) were awarded the David M. Rubenstein Prize, the Kislak Family Foundation Prize, the 2025 American Prize, and the International Prize, respectively.

Dyslexia Alliance for Black Children (New Rochelle, NY), Loxion Mobile Library (Cape Town, South Africa), Start Lighthouse, Inc. (Bronx, NY), Teach for Change Nigeria’s Literacy Amidst Violent Conflict Initiative (Abuja, Nigeria), and Welcome Home Jersey City’s Literary Initiative (Jersey City, NJ) were awarded the Emerging Strategies awards.

Additional information on the awards and previous winners, as well as an interactive program map, are available at www.loc.gov/literacy.