I had an incredible time at the Beyond School Hours National Education Conference in Orlando, where I accepted the 2025 Champion of Children Award from Foundations Inc. Trading Wisconsin’s 10-degree chill for Florida’s sun was lovely, but the true warmth came from spending time among 2,000 passionate educators and advocates. It was a wonderful group dedicated to helping youth feel seen, safe, and inspired through afterschool and out-of-school programming.
It was humbling and motivating to be recognized alongside iconic past recipients like Dolly Parton, Geoffrey Canada, and Barbara Bush, leaders I’ve admired for their transformative contributions to children’s literacy. But the conference’s true heart was its educators and program leaders—unsung champions whose daily efforts create life-changing opportunities for kids.
The conference reinforced my core belief: literacy isn’t just a school issue—it’s a community issue that requires all of us to act. Parents, educators, and community leaders all have a role in building strong readers, from nurturing oral language before kindergarten to fueling curiosity through out-of-school programs.
I appreciate every member of the Foundations team. They all went out of their way to welcome me, celebrate my work, and help elevate it by introducing me to prospective partners at organizations and foundations across the country.
I’m also grateful for the organization’s generous donation to Reach Out and Read Wisconsin, a program that brings books into pediatric care and encourages family read-alouds from birth. It’s among my favorite nonprofits and is exactly the kind of community-based early literacy intervention we need more of.
In my acceptance speech, I shared my personal journey, from championing my daughter Zora’s (named after novelist Zora Neale Hurston) literacy to advocating for every family seeking clear, practical guidance to raise strong readers. I honored my namesake, Maya Angelou, whose iconic poem reminds us:
“I rise… Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave.”
We rise, in part, through reading. And when some of us struggle to read, we all have a responsibility to address it. We must support:
- Parents to build oral language skills and print awareness from birth.
- Teachers who deliver high-quality instruction and intervention.
- Out-of-school programs that fuel curiosity and knowledge.
- Communities that nurture learning through conversation, play, and exploration.
I urged attendees to turn every touchpoint with children into opportunities for learning, including summer camps, afterschool initiatives, and community events. I challenged them to empower parents as children’s first teachers, by offering them practical tools and quick wins.
When I wrote my book, I titled it Reading for Our Lives because this is urgent. We don’t read for test scores—we read to thrive. We read for our health, our well-being, our livelihoods, and our shared future.
The journey continues, and I’m more energized than ever to spread the joy and urgency of early literacy.
Thank you, Foundations, for this honor and for creating spaces where education champions connect and strengthen our collective impact.
Together, let’s ensure that every child reads—and rises.
If you’d like to learn more about Foundations Inc.’s important work, visit www.foundationsinc.org.
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