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September 7, 2001
WASHINGTON - Continuing its efforts as America's
literacy champion, Verizon Communications today announced its support
for two literacy initiatives and became the first private-sector
corporation to join the International Literacy Network (ILN) at
an event marking International Literacy Day.
Verizon
International, a unit of Verizon Communications, became the 21st
- member of the ILN consortium by giving a $195,000 grant to help
fund "Get Ready for Life," a nationwide campaign focused
on building awareness in the U.S. of the worldwide low literacy
problem.
Verizon also celebrated the launch of a new online
tool, called America's Literacy Directory
(www.literacydirectory.org),
which links literacy advocates across the country. The directory,
partially underwritten with $165,000 in Verizon funding, provides
a comprehensive, easily accessible Web-based database of organizations
so that literacy advocates, learners and volunteers can find the
literacy programs and service providers in their communities.
"As a world leader in telecommunications,
Verizon is committed to using technology as a powerful catalyst
for positive change," said Sue Cushing, vice president - International
Public Affairs for Verizon. "Bridging the literacy gap is a
fundamental building block in developing strong communities and
a skilled workforce."
The International Literacy Network awareness
campaign initially will feature three TV public service announcements
(PSAs). Print versions of the announcements carrying the "Get
Ready for Life" theme also are ready to run across the country.
The yearlong campaign will include a series of PSAs, which will
call attention to the seriousness of low literacy worldwide and
how it negatively impacts society and the economy.
Studies indicate that 885 million adults
worldwide have low levels of literacy. According to the National
Adult Literacy Survey, 92 million adults in the U.S have low or
very low literacy skills. Other studies have found more than eight
of every 20 adults with low literacy live in poverty compared to
only one in 20 who have strong literacy skills. Taken together,
these facts indicate low literacy is both widespread and detrimental,
not just in the developing world but in industrialized nations as
well.
Most experts also believe the reality, pervasiveness
and negative impact of low literacy is not as widely recognized
as it should be, especially in countries such as the United States
that has a history of providing universal education for its citizens.
In part, this is because vast numbers of the very people who suffer
with low literacy skills have learned to cope while hiding their
struggles from friends and family. Building awareness and understanding
of the issues surrounding low literacy so people feel comfortable
seeking help to improve their skills, therefore, is a major step
towards a solution.
ILN's
members include:
- Teachers'
groups such as the International Reading Association
- United
Nations organizations such as the U.N. Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the U.N. International Children's
Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and the World Bank
- U.S.
organizations such as the U.S. Department of Education, the
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National
Institute for Literacy (NIFL)
- Verizon,
representing the private corporate sector.
A complete
list of ILN member groups is attached.
The
National Institute for Literacy created America's Literacy Directory
in partnership with the U.S. Departments of Education and Labor
and with $165,000 in funding from Verizon, which was pledged and
announced last March.
Verizon works to increase community and corporate
awareness, raise funds, encourage collaboration among literacy providers
and engage employees in supporting literacy programs through its
signature Verizon Reads program and the Verizon Literacy Network,
an innovative Web site
(www.verizonreads.net)
that provides literacy information and training to millions of households
nationwide.
Verizon
Communications (NYSE:VZ) is one of the world's leading providers
of communications services. Verizon companies are the largest providers
of wireline and wireless communications in the United States, with
125 million access line equivalents and approximately 28 million
wireless customers. Verizon is also the largest directory publisher
in the world. A Fortune 10 company with about 260,000 employees
and more than $65 billion in annual revenues, Verizon's global presence
extends to 40 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Pacific.
For more information on Verizon, visit www.verizon.com.
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