Through literacy, GLP helps individuals gain access to their own rich cultural, literary, and historical traditions, as well as those of others. Seen as the ability to read, write, and evaluate ideas, literacy has become a necessity for survival in this age of science, information technologies, urbanization, and the availability of technologies for enhancing survival in rural environments. Literacy opens doors to fields of specialized knowledge, such as the sciences, public health, engineering, and technology.

As such, GLP believes in the goal of a transformative literacy that nurtures critical thinking and problem solving. Literacy should empower and transform learners to increase their awareness and help them to take control of their lives within their broader socio-economic and cultural context.

Illiteracy, as a cause and effect of poverty, reinforces long-term underdevelopment in many countries. For example, people who are unable to read have limited access to opportunities at the workplace, and to problem-solving information. By acquiring the skill of literacy, people can empower themselves to better negotiate the practical demands of survival and the abstract world of ideas and science. 

Values

• Individuals should have the ability to access their own rich cultural, literary and historical traditions, as well as those of others.
• Literacy opens doors to fields of specialized knowledge, such as the sciences, public health, engineering and technology.
• Human beings must begin to share knowledge, resources, and experiences with each other generously.
• Service learning and participation in joint activities are the keys to creating new understandings between the developed and developing worlds.
• Literacy empowers historically disadvantaged groups, e.g. women, the poor, the oppressed.
  

Goals

• Conduct educational programs aimed at improving knowledge, enhancing global awareness and developing skills in the USA and abroad.
• Maintain and deepen relationships with existing recipient locations and partner schools and institutions.
• Increase public awareness of literacy issues.
• Assure development of a responsive and efficient organization.

Since its founding in 1999-2000, GLP has shipped out nearly one million volumes of books and journals and established several multimedia learning centers. Volumes shipped have included complete sets of extremely valuable scientific journals (such as Nature; Science; Journal of Chromatography; Chemical Abstracts; Lancet; Journal of Biochemistry; Cell; etc.).

In 2002 GLP facilitated the creation of an ongoing program of 10 full scholarships for 10 economically underprivileged rural students for attendance at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in Kenya (www.jkuat.ac.ke).

By connecting donors with literacy projects around the world, the Global Literacy Project, Inc. also benefits the environment. We are proud to stand by our motto,

_________ Books for Brainfills, Not Landfills! TM

Who We Are