The UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Award this year went to the Center for the Study of Learning and Performance at Concordia University in Canada and Rana Dajani from Jordan.

The annual award honors outstanding contributions made to literacy.

The center at Concordia University was recognized for a project that uses technology to develop essential educational competencies in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The project, which seeks to increase literacy through mobile apps, is being expanded to North America, Britain and China.

A teacher uses Concordia University’s literacy program. (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism)

Rana Dajani’s literacy program is run in Jordan (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism)

Dajani founded a program in Jordan called “We Love Reading,” a grassroots program that involves reading to and teaching children. It is being expanded to 30 countries.

The award ceremony will take place Friday at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. The Culture Ministry here plans to invite the award winners to Korea.

UNESCO designated Sept. 8 International Literacy Day in 1965. The Korean government established the King Sejong Literacy Award in 1989. Some 50 groups and individuals have received the award since 1990.

(doo@heraldcorp.com)

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A teacher uses Concordia University’s literacy program. (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism)
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Rana Dajani’s literacy program is run in Jordan (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism)