The International Alliance for Child Literacy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 17, 2011—Somerset, N.J.—The International Alliance for Child Literacy (“IACL”), a U.S.-based non-profit charity continued its Caribbean literacy outreach efforts with a shipment of children’s books, an assortment of educational materials, and school supplies to children at the Child Development and Guidance Centre (the “CDGC”) in Castries, Saint Lucia.  

The CDGC, which is the only assessment center of its kind, is a non-profit organization that works predominantly with preschool children and those with special education needs.  The CDGC relies on volunteer physical therapists, speech-language pathologist and occupational therapist to work with the children at the center.  According to Jane McManus, a volunteer at the CDCG, many of the families whose children visit the CDGC have limited or no access to books.  The IACL’s donations will be put to good use, as the center hopes to use the books and educational materials to help build the students literary skills.  The CDGC will institute a library lending service that allows students to take books home with them to read and share with their families.  

The CDGC has been in operation for 14 years and has helped over 783 children over the years.  By empowering the children of the CDGC, the IACL is continuing its literacy outreach efforts in Saint Lucia.  Earlier this year the IACL shipped thousands of children’s books, culturally relevant learning materials, teacher supplies, and school supplies to various primary schools on the island.  “We are happy to continue working with Saint Lucia communities,” said IACL President Andrea de Vries.  “We made many contacts during our visit to the island.  There are many more children in need there, and we will do our best to help where we can while moving forward with our literacy outreach efforts in other parts of the Caribbean.”  To date, the IACL has shipped over 1.7 tons of educational materials, including over 9,000 children books to communities in six Caribbean countries – Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica and Antigua.  The IACL hopes to expand its reach to Latin America in the upcoming months.

The IACL partners with American and international organizations and local communities in the developing world to establish libraries and literacy centers for children.  Founded on the belief that education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty, the IACL promotes life-long learning and the improvement of children’s reading and writing skills.  The IACL will donate literacy programs and over 20,000 books to Latin America and Caribbean schools, orphanages, and community centers in 2011.  For more information, please visit www.theiacl.org or www.facebook.com/theiacl.