What Does Literacy Mean to You?
It’s pretty common for people to think of literacy as simply the ability to read, but literacy doesn’t end with printed words on a page. Being able to read is really just the beginning of literacy’s impact, especially for adults in basic education programs like Seeds of Literacy.
At a recent Seeds of Literacy event, we asked supporters to write down what literacy means to them on a paper leaf, and we put their leaf on our Seeds tree.
So what does literacy mean to people?
- Empowerment
- Independence
- Limitless possibilities
- Adventure
- Freedom
- Hope
- Pride
- The ability to expand knowledge
- Success
- Advancement
- Work
- Life, humanity, and individual dignity
- Liberation
- Opportunity
These answers aren’t what you’ll see when you look up “literacy” in a book. It may sound like a hokey exercise, but the Seeds of Literacy tree created a full illustration of the many ways literacy touches our lives.
Far beyond being able to read, we see profound ideas emerge about the influence literacy can take in shaping a life. Could you imagine feeling like a fulfilled and happy human being without things like pride, freedom, and hope?
When an adult enrolls in a literacy program, or volunteers to tutor, or gives a monetary gift, they are showing that literacy means more to them than words. Seeds of Literacy is a place for all those people to converge, to climb those branches and reach higher together.
So what does literacy mean to you? Use the hashtag #LiteracyMeans on Twitter and let us know!
Raise your voice for literacy by donating, volunteering, or enrolling with Seeds of Literacy!