Newark, Del. (January 11, 2021) — Saurabh Anand, an international Ph.D. Student from India at the University of Georgia, is one of 30 literacy leaders named to the International Literacy Association’s (ILA) 2021 30 Under 30 list. The global list celebrates rising innovators, disruptors, and visionaries in the literacy field.
The 28-year-old from Athens, Georgia, a tireless literacy and education advocate, was recognized for his continual contribution to multicultural literacy development as an ESL teacher.
Talking about his work, Anand said, “Despite immigrants being equally supporters and contributors to making the United States a great country as it claims to be, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done in supporting immigrant students and students of color. Due to personal anecdotes of being an immigrant and a person of color, I understand how difficult it could be to live and thrive, especially when someone comes from a marginalized or minority sections of society. I am doing my bit of researching to provide adequate language support to struggling readers irrespective of domestic speakers or ESL readers to ensure knowledge equality in American classrooms.”
Sharing his long-term goals, Anand said, “I aim to develop and set up formal writing and reading intensive programs that strategically train English language learners of varied fluency levels via a culturally responsive and guided manner so that multilingual learners feel confident in their multilingual identities while continuing learning.”
Representing 12 countries, this year’s list of honorees includes educators, nonprofit leaders, authors, volunteers, researchers, and social entrepreneurs.
“The start of 2021 is filled with much promise thanks to the work of this year’s class of honorees,” said ILA Executive Director Marcie Craig Post. “Their work—whether it’s research on multicultural literacy, helping young students find the power of their voice or dismantling systems of oppression in education—is impacting the lives of countless individuals and communities. Not only do these emerging leaders share in our mission of literacy for all, but also they are helping to ensure that the post-COVID era, when we get there, will be grounded in equity for all.”
Anand joins a growing cohort of leaders. Past honorees include Gerald Dessus, social justice teacher and curriculum developer in Pennsylvania; Shiza Shahid, cofounder of the Malala Fund; Allister Chang, founder of Civic Suds; and Freshta Karim, founder of mobile library Charmaghz in Afghanistan.
ILA’s 30 Under 30 honorees are featured in the January/February 2021 issue of Literacy Today, ILA’s bimonthly magazine, which published today. To view the Literacy Today feature and read more about the honorees’ accomplishments, visit literacyworldwide.org/30under30.
About the International Literacy Association
The International Literacy Association (ILA) is a global advocacy and membership organization dedicated to advancing literacy for all through its network of more than 300,000 literacy educators, researchers, and experts across 128 countries. With over 60 years of experience, ILA has set the standard for how literacy is defined, taught, and evaluated. ILA’s Standards for the Preparation of Literacy Professionals 2017 provides an evidence-based benchmark for the development and evaluation of literacy professional preparation programs. ILA collaborates with partners across the world to develop, gather and disseminate high-quality resources, best practices, and cutting-edge research to empower educators, inspire students and inform policymakers. ILA publishes The Reading Teacher, Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, and Reading Research Quarterly, which are peer reviewed and edited by leaders in the field. For more information, visit literacyworldwide.org.
CDE Note: Saurabh Anand has previously contributed to Café Dissensus Everyday an article, “From Learning English in Delhi to Teaching English in Minnesota” on literacy.
***
Like Cafe Dissensus on Facebook. Follow Cafe Dissensus on Twitter.
Cafe Dissensus Everyday is the blog of Cafe Dissensus magazine, born in New York City and currently based in India. All materials on the site are protected under Creative Commons License.
***
Read the latest issue of Cafe Dissensus Magazine, “Travel Writing: A mode of constructing knowledge”, edited by Raeesa Usmani, Surat, India.
Cafe Dissensus Everyday 