International Literacy Day will be kicked off in downtown Covington on Thursday as Gateway Community & Technical College begins its NEA Big Read community project.
The school is one of 77 nonprofit organizations that received a $14,000 grant to host the national project between September and June. Gateway selected the classic book, A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines. Libraries, classrooms, and public venues will host Big Read events throughout September, October, and November.
The college is partnering with six public libraries – Boone, Gallatin, Grant, Kenton and Owen Counties in Kentucky and Hamilton County in Ohio – and dozens of educators, community organizations and media outlets in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region to bring approximately 25 activities around the book.
Following Thursday’s kickoff event, some events include an historic exhibit on solitary confinement, a photography competition, community discussions about Black Lives Matters, and a community art exhibit. The full list of events can be found here.
Thursday’s kickoff is at the Technology, Innovation, and Enterprise (TIE) Building at 519 Madison Avenue in Covington at 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Gateway’s Kristen Smitherman-Voltaire joined RCN’s Michael Monks for a podcast to discuss the event. Listen here:
