Bringing World Book Day to the (Global) Fore
By: The Resolution Project
Tags: World Book Day, Education, Literacy, Books

Now, more than ever, daily life is characterized by the constant influx of readily accessible information. With the tap of a screen, you have the answer to practically any question imaginable, from how many footballs can fit into the Grand Canyon to what was the longest recorded flight of a chicken. This astounding sense of having infinite knowledge at your fingertips poses the risk of even further divorcing us from the actual reality of the state of global education: despite undeniable movement in the right direction, UNICEF reports that there remain 115 million illiterate youth worldwide. Education continues to be a luxury that many simply cannot afford, rendering millions in vulnerable communities — particularly young women, who comprise 59 percent of the illiterate youth population — disadvantaged when it comes to career development and without accessible pathways for individual mobility.

Image provided by SeHER

However, there exist some incredible young leaders committed to providing education and skills training to people who need it. Today, on World Book Day, we’d like to highlight the work of several Resolution Fellows who have used their influence to bring education and opportunity to others.

Image provided by PODER

The most effective education programs target the communities most vulnerable to being overlooked: women, children, and the disabled. Several ventures begin interacting with their target communities when their members are still young and at-risk: Paintastic Kids! in Indonesia provides street children with an arts program to engage them and provide them with a safe place to cultivate a new, revenue-earning hobby. PODER offers leadership development and training workshops to socially-disadvantaged indigenous youth in rural communities in Toledo, Spain. Mentor for Development in Liberia has provided 15 at-risk high school students with mentorship and support throughout their education. Equality in Primary Education similarly provides tutoring and resources to at-risk elementary school students in Tbilisi, Georgia. David’s Library, a venture created to honor the memory of Resolution fellow David Lin, will soon be launching a website that allows people to easily search for the closest hospital libraries/donation sites near them and donate new or gently used books for patients. In all, as Carly Gallo noted in her piece, social ventures by Resolution Fellows have provided access to formal or informal education for more than 30,000 children.

Image provided by Mentor for Development in Liberia

Other ventures seek to address the gender disparity in education systems by empowering women and girls. These ventures include the Nima Innovation Lab for Girls, which trains young women in entrepreneurship; Girl Child Project, which financially supports the education of girls in Guinea; SeHER, which “address[es] the stigmatization and health risks associated with poor information about women’s menstrual hygiene”; The Future is Female, which trains women in the Gulf for the workforce; and many more.

Image provided by SeHER

Yet other ventures aim at the same goals by helping participants develop more specific skills. These ventures include Ideation Station, which encourages women, minority, and rural students to pursue STEM.

No matter what form these ventures take, they are all alike in their target goal of increasing quality of life and opportunity through education. World Book Day provides a perfect moment for us to reflect on how far we’ve come in global education and to appreciate the remarkable work of these Resolution Fellows, but also to note how much work remains to be done. Everyone deserves the opportunity to learn and better themselves and their futures, and we all stand to benefit from a society that respects, supports, and challenges the newest generation of educated young leaders.