For Immediate Release:
January 17, 2024 - Princeton, NJ – Learning Ally, a national nonprofit working with more than 615,000 U.S. educators to improve reading proficiency, has won four Excellence in Equity Awards from the American Consortium for Equity in Education.
The ACE-ed awards program honors K-12 changemakers (companies, nonprofits, leaders, and educators) whose efforts, products, and services contribute to the critical goal of ensuring access and equity for every student in the nation.
Ross Romano, advisor to ACE-ed, and program chair of the Excellence in Equity Awards, said, “Working in close collaboration with teachers and administrators, these companies and individuals innovate tirelessly in pursuit of equitable outcomes for all learners.”
Learning Ally celebrates 75 years of service supporting students in PreK-12 and higher education who require accessible educational books to read on grade level and study independently. The nonprofit was selected in these Excellence in Equity categories:
- Best New Product of the Year was awarded for Brain-Based Literacy Instruction. This comprehensive, innovative, and flexible professional development courseware gives educators timely knowledge, tools, and practices to apply the Science of Reading directly into class instruction. Five units feature Deep Learning Workshops with Community of Practice sessions move educators from learning to practice quickly and effectively.
- Best Author or Speaker was awarded to Dr. Molly Ness and Dr. Terrie Noland. These nationally recognized literacy leaders and executives at Learning Ally author books, speak at conferences, host podcasts, and advocate on behalf of educators to improve literacy leadership and best instructional strategies based on the latest brain-based research on reading and learning.
- Best Early Childhood Education Solution was awarded to Excite Reading™ An engaging library of human-read, children’s e-books containing authentic stories and time-saving lessons give students access to content above their grade level and exposure to vocabulary and background knowledge for early reading comprehension.
The organization was also named a 2023 finalist for Nonprofit of the Year and Leader of the Year, recognizing CEO Andrew Friedman, and for the flagship Learning Ally Audiobook Solution, proven to double the rate of reading growth in only 50 days..
Over 2.3 million students, including those with dyslexia and vision impairments, receive equitable access to Learning Ally’s Audiobook Solution to learn at the same pace as peers regardless of economic status or learning difference. The digital library offers 24/7 access to human-read audiobooks including K-12 curriculum and textbooks, literature, and popular titles. Students also participate in pre-organized virtual reading events to support teachers’ efforts to engage, motivate, and inspire students to read all year long.
Learning Ally CEO, Andrew Friedman said, “I extend my gratitude to the American Consortium for Equity in Education for recognizing Learning Ally. I am honored to receive these awards, and lead an organization doing important work in partnership with administrators and educators prioritizing a “Literacy For All” mission. Together, we can ensure every struggling reader receives equitable access to literacy and learning, to achieve their fullest potential.”
About Learning Ally
Learning Ally is a leading education nonprofit dedicated to empowering educators with proven solutions that help new and struggling learners reach their potential. Our range of literacy-focused offerings for students in Pre-K to 12th grade and catalog of professional learning allows us to support more than 2.3 million students and 615,000 educators across the United States.