FIAZ CH

ISLAMABAD – The United States Library of Congress today
announced the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
literacy program, “Pakistan Reading Project,” as the 2020 recipient of
the International Literacy Program of the Year.

Over the past seven years, and working in tandem with Pakistani
education officials, USAID’s Pakistan Reading Project has improved the
reading skills of 1.7 million Pakistani students by delivering reading
instructional materials to classrooms, training teachers in new
instruction techniques, and encouraging schools to dedicate more
classroom time for reading.

This early grade literacy project has also worked closely with the
Government of Pakistan to improve policies and systems for early grade
reading across national, provincial, and local levels.

“We’re very honored and pleased that the Pakistan Reading Project is
this year’s Library of Congress recipient of this International Literacy
Award,” said USAID/Pakistan Mission Director Julie Koenen.  “The program
has proved to be a cornerstone of our partnership with Pakistan in
education by increasing the literacy rates across the country and
improving the reading of so many Pakistani students.”

In 2013, the Library of Congress created the Literacy Awards to honor
organizations working to promote literacy and reading in the United
States and internationally.  The project’s implementing partner, the
International Relief Committee, will receive $50,000 from the Library of
Congress for winning this.