Declining literacy rates is a major problem in
Los Angeles, and it is a problem that keeps on growing. According to Southern
California Public Radio in 2012 “Literacy rates in Los Angeles are the second
lowest in the nation, but despite the grim statistics a few organizations are
working with youth to generate a passion for reading, performing and writing.”
(scpr.org) Depending on which neighborhood you live in or which school you
attend, the visible effects of low literacy rates may be quite low. However,
the long-term effects of low-literacy rates are apparent on a personal level, a
community level, and a national level. On an individual level, low reading and
writing skills can prevent one from applying a variety of jobs as well as
interfere with everyday situations, from reading driving directions to
understanding bills. According to Read to Grow, an organization dedicated to
increasing literacy rates, “43% of people with low literacy skills live in
poverty” and “70% of all prison inmates have low literacy skills” (readtogrow.org).
If improving literacy rates in your community is important to you, this article
will provide a practical guide to running your own literacy festival at a local
venue.
Step One: Forming a Team
Of course, you could
run a festival all on your own. Personally, I do not recommend it. Having a
planning partner, as well as several volunteers, creates a more relaxed
environment. It is very important to find committed volunteers for running the
actual event, as last minute recruiting only adds more stress.
Step Two: Planning
You don’t have to
create a set in stone plan, as that is impossible without know the location,
but having a general idea is necessary. Decide on a target age-range, and then
come up with some fun activities that match. Coloring bookmarks, word searches
and fishing for words are just a few examples of activities that proved popular
at my Literacy Festival, but keep in mind that the supplies for these games
should be included in your budget for the event. At my Literacy Festival, we
also handed out a free book for every game a kid played.
Step Three: Location
If you have ever
planned an event before, you already know that finding a location is the
slowest and most important step. Nothing can be done, no speakers scheduled or
flyers distributed without knowing the location. Start searching for a location
months ahead of when you want to have the event. For my literacy event, I
rented a room at a local library for about three hours, and it worked out perfectly.
Step Four: Advertising
Try to pass out
flyers, put up posters, or post information on online community calendars at
least a month before the event. The sooner the information is out there, the
more people are exposed to it. My team put up flyers at local Starbuck’s, Jamba
Juice’s, on peoples cars, as well as other libraries. You may want to contact
your local newspaper and ask if they would like to cover the event as well. If
you have a speaker scheduled for the event, be sure to include that information
in the flyer.
Step Five: Finalize Itinerary
Now is when you want
to have all your activities planned out and settled. Make sure you have a
volunteer for each station, and begin shopping for supplies. Remember, it is always better to have too much
than too little.
Planning a Literacy Festival can be a consuming
project, but if serving your community is important to you, ever second is
worth it. Seeing smiling little kids walk away with three or five or ten books,
you know that you have made an impact in this community.
