Join us for a riveting episode of the Beyond Words podcast as we sit down with Yasmine Sherif, the Executive Director of Education Cannot Wait (ECW), a global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises. Yasmine is at the forefront of a transformative movement that aims to deliver education to the most marginalized individuals in crisis settings worldwide.

Under Yasmine's visionary leadership, ECW has achieved remarkable milestones in a short span of time. With over US$1.5 billion mobilized, ECW has successfully reached more than 7 million children affected by crises, providing them with holistic and quality education. At the heart of ECW's mission lies the commitment to prioritize foundational learning outcomes, including literacy, ensuring a brighter future for these vulnerable children.

With 30 years of experience as a human rights lawyer working in war zones and crises, Yasmine brings invaluable expertise to her role at ECW's headquarters in New York. Regularly undertaking missions to crisis-affected countries, she assesses needs and strengthens ECW's responses on the ground, striving to address the educational challenges faced by those in dire circumstances.

Yasmine's relentless advocacy for the right to education has made her a respected global advocate and a thought leader in her field. Her media presence and authorship of the book "The Case for Humanity: An Extraordinary Session" further amplify her voice. Recognitions such as the Global Educator Award in 2020 and the prestigious Mother Teresa Award on behalf of Education Cannot Wait in 2022 highlight her significant contributions to the global education landscape.

Tune in to the Beyond Words podcast as we delve into Yasmine Sherif's inspiring journey, exploring her commitment to breaking down barriers and providing education in the midst of crises. Learn how ECW is repositioning education in emergencies as a top priority, generating greater commitment to meet the educational needs of millions of children and adolescents affected by crises worldwide. Don't miss this engaging conversation that sheds light on the urgent need for accessible education in times of crisis.

Join us on Beyond Words podcast as we embark on a profound journey with Madi Franquiz, the Youth Ambassador of the World Literacy Foundation. At just 25 years old, Madi fearlessly stood before the United Nations, advocating for children who, like her, missed the critical 3rd Grade Literacy Benchmark. From facing poverty and limited access to books to defying expectations, Madi's story is one of resilience and triumph.

In this captivating episode, we explore Madi's incredible accomplishments, from self-publishing eight children's books to delivering a compelling address at the World Literacy Summit. Named the youngest founding member of the World Literacy Task Force, she continues to break barriers and serve as an inspiration to thousands worldwide. Madi's journey proves that education and determination can transform lives and create lasting change.

Tune in to Beyond Words podcast and immerse yourself in the emotional and empowering tale of Madi Franquiz. Let her story ignite your passion for literacy and empower you to make a difference in the world.

Our special guest, Samantha Sida, co-founder of Limited Space and a World Literacy Foundation board member, shares her passion for tackling illiteracy worldwide. After attending the World Literacy Summit in Oxford, Samantha shares her insights on the impact of illiteracy on young people and how digital technology is changing the game. We dive into the World Literacy Taskforce, an initiative of The World Literacy Foundation launched in New York during the 77th UN General Assembly. The initiative brought together business leaders from around the world to offer their brainpower, skills, and resources to help eradicate illiteracy in 50 cities by 2030. This episode is a must-listen for anyone who cares about education, literacy, and making a difference in the world.

Passionate and articulate, he’s seen the pain and shame that comes with illiteracy as many women struggle to access the essential resources they feel disempowered and frustrated. So as Head of Literacy at one of India's biggest companies TATA, Kishan chose to teach in the biggest slums in India - to serve to give and to empower. A beautiful warm, and engaging teacher and an engineer, he’s seen lives transformed within a week as they hold a pen for the first time, access new Literacy technology, and learn how to write and read🙏🏼📘😘🙏🏼🌎

Kyle Wallgren

Chief Executive Officer

Edsoma.

Globally renowned NBA basketball star

Shaq O Neill is just one of the many literacy advocates supporting this innnovative literacy platform now in 11 countries.

He’s On a literacy mission and is an investor in Edsoma a powerful literacy APP

The world has experienced a shift since the pandemic broke out. Now, self-education has taken a stronger stand than ever, with remote learning and parents actively being school teachers’ assistants. This has, however, enabled poor quality learning and reading. To fix the situation, Kyle Wallgren got the idea to build a new communication and reading application called Edsoma.

Edsoma was designed to get children back in the reading culture and help them bond better with the authority figures in their lives.

The app has been on the trajectory to become every family’s favorite reading application with its numerous features and functionalities that encourage bonding while learning. One remarkable thing about Edsoma is that parents and guardians do not need to be physically present with their children to read with them. Instead, they can do the reading from any part of the world and still achieve the same.

The app’s creator and CEO, Kyle Wallgren, got the inspiration to build the app due to his marital status as a divorced parent.

“I wanted to continue reading with my children even when I’m not with them. So, I created this app for not just myself but other parents in a similar situation”.

Tom Richardson

Chief Executive Officer

Literacy Planet

Tom is on a mission to transform the way people learn. He is humbled to lead the LiteracyPlanet team, inspiring a lifetime of learning. Tom is a proud dad of three kids and loves nature, the outdoors, adventure and travel. 

LiteracyPlanet is a research and evidence-aligned literacy program combining the science of reading, great storytelling and the psychology of gameplay to create a learning experience that educators and students love.

The driving force behind LiteracyPlanet is motivating students to discover the joy of learning through the power of great storytelling and gamified learning experiences.

Immersive storytelling

Just as the world’s most popular films and games are driven by compelling narratives, LiteracyPlanet’s Storyverse immerses readers in a captivating world of fun, fantasy and wonder. This is where learning becomes meaningful and memorable, inspiring children to connect with their writing in imaginative and creative ways.

Gamification for learning

LiteracyPlanet uses the psychology of gameplay to encourage, motivate and reward children as they move from one curriculum outcome to the next. It is an enabler, building confidence and determination within a safe and nurturing environment.

Welcome to the Beyond Words World Literacy Podcast

Love the name it’s very universal and ultimately learning, and literacy has 247,000 students using it in 900 in 80 countries schools that’s impressive!

We will interview the Director of Little Free Library, a project aiming to fill the book deserts with over 100,000 Little Free Libraries worldwide in more than 100 countries. This project impacts thousands of people, increasing access to books for readers of all ages and backgrounds!

In our latest episode, we interview two great educators and academics, Dr. Leslie Haas and Dr. Jill Tussey, to discuss about student engagement and motivation through digital literacy and popular culture.

Beyond the Words is a literacy podcast by World Literacy Foundation and World Literacy Summit where literacy experts and change-makers discuss the challenges in creating a literate world.