The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi today announced its 2020 Literacy Grant recipients. The grants of up to $2,500 were awarded to 12 Phi Kappa Phi members across the nation.

The Literacy Grant Program, established in 2003, is part of the Society’s robust awards program, which gives nearly $1 million each year to outstanding students and members through study abroad grants, graduate fellowships, funding for post-baccalaureate development and member and chapter awards. Drawing from a multidisciplinary society of students and scholars from large and small institutions, the grants help fund projects ranging from traditional reading initiatives to those fostering learning in cultural, digital, financial, health, historical literacy and beyond.

The 2020 recipients and their respective projects are: 

• Kathryn Accurso, REAL Talk! A book club about Race, Education, and Language
• Maria R. Barefoot, Little Free Laundromat Libraries for Southwestern PA
• Brenda L. Beverly, Tele-coaching for home early literacy practices: Impact on early literacy skills and parent engagement
• Christina Chester-Fangman, Books: Candy for the Mind
• Ralph David Frantzreb, The Love of Reading
• Shelby Garner, Innovation in Digital Learning through an E-Café to Improve Health Literacy among Nursing Students in India
• Karla Guinigundo, Near-Peer Mentoring
• Anna Handte-Reinecker, Readers to Leaders: Supporting Literacy in the TCI
• Tracee Matthias, BRIDGES Book Club
• Liberatus J. Rwebugisa, The Student Success Center Project: Helping Every Child Succeed Educationally
• Judy Stiles, Joplin NALA Read Student Success and Retention Program
• Melissa Webb Walton, Playing to Read: Teachers and Students Engage With Reading Through Play

“One look at the list of recipients of this year’s grants reveals an ever-expanding definition of literacy. Going forward, we should perhaps more correctly speak of literacies, plural,” said Society Executive Director Dr. Mary Todd. “We are delighted at the variety of projects Phi Kappa Phi has been asked to support through these funds.”

The winning literacy projects were selected for a grant based on a number of criteria including the project’s scope, student and community involvement, impact, duration and ability to achieve success.

To learn more about this year’s recipients and projects, please visit www.PhiKappaPhi.org/Literacy.