International Literacy Association

The International Literacy Association (ILA), formerly known as the International Reading Association (IRA), is a global advocacy and membership organization dedicated to advancing literacy for all.[1]

Created in 1956, the organization is headquartered in Newark, Delaware, United States, and is home to a network of more than 300,000 literacy educators, researchers, and experts across 75 countries. The current ILA President (term 2016-2017) is William Teale, a professor in the Literacy, Language & Culture Program at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and director of the UIC Center for Literacy.[2] Marcie Craig Post is the Executive Director.[3]

History

The International Reading Association was established in 1956 through a merging of two existing groups, the International Council for the Improvement of Reading Instruction and the National Association for Remedial Teachers. The association headquarters was originally established in Chicago, but moved to Newark, Delaware, in 1961.

The association changed its name from the International Reading Association to the International Literacy Association on January 26, 2015, to reflect the belief that literacy is the primary foundation of all learning.

Across 60 years of operation, the association has contributed to the field of literacy education through

Resources

The organization maintains a catalogue of previously released titles. ILA publishes three professional journals, a bi-monthly magazine, and daily blog:

Some association resources are only available to active members, such as the Bridges instructional units and ILA E-ssentials, short articles written by literacy experts designed to strengthen teachers’ classroom practices.

Special Interest Groups

The International Literacy Association has nearly 30 active Special Interest Groups.

Awards and Grants

ILA offers a number of awards and grants for educators, researchers, and authors.

Affiliations

ILA has been recognized by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) since 1978; It was reclassified to have Consultative Status with UNESCO in 1996 and continues to hold this status.[4]

Annual Conference

The International Literacy Association hosts an annual conference. ILA 2017 Conference & Exhibits will be held in Orlando, FL, from July 15–17, with full-day Preconference Institutes taking place on July 14. The conference theme is Literacy Reimagined.

Activities

Leaders for Literacy Day: On April 14, 2015, ILA launched its first Leaders for Literacy Day, bringing together a variety of literacy leaders for a candid discussion on the best practices and scalable solutions to supporting literacy efforts worldwide. These discussions occurred both in a panel of experts in New York City and globally through social media. This gathering of literacy leaders will be an annual event.

Choices Booklist: ILA produces the Choices booklists, a set of three collections of book titles. Each Choices list is selected by a different audience.

Global Operations: The Global Operations Unit works to enhance the professional development and institutional capacity of literacy educators while developing and implementing sustainable partnership programs worldwide. ILA affiliates, established in 76 countries, including 42 developing countries, are independent, organized homegrown structures dedicated to excellence in literacy.

International Literacy Day: ILA is an avid participant in UNESCO’s International Literacy Day celebration, having done several service and awareness projects, including partnering with NASA, building a Little Free Library, and creating educational kits for teachers to use in the classroom.

References

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