Is it just me, or does summer seem to fly by faster every year? For educators, it can feel especially fleeting—blink and you're back in the classroom! With summer winding down, let's take a moment to recap some of ILA's exciting happenings from summer 2024.
The 2024/2025 ILA Board term began
The 2024 ILA election results were announced back in May, but July 1 marked the first day of the three-year terms of the new Board members-at-large Sonja Ezell, Delilah Gonzales, and Katina Zammit. At the same time, the Board had a shift in leadership with the newly elected Dana A. Robertson starting the three-year leadership trek in the role of vice president. This year, ILA Board is being led by President J. Helen Perkins, with Kia Brown-Dudly remaining for her final year on the Board in the role of past president. Congratulations to our new Board members!
Nominations for ILA’s Board are always open, but to be considered for the 2025 election, nominations must be received by December 21 of this year.
2024 ILA Awards & Grants winners announced
This year, ILA proudly awarded nine awards and grants to ten outstanding individuals and teams, recognizing their exceptional contributions to literacy education. Of special note is the Diane Lapp & James Flood Professional Collaborator Award, given to a deserving two-person team. To learn more about these remarkable recipients and their achievements, check out our previous blog post.
Let me extend a special congratulations to Patricia A. Edwards, recipient of the 2024 William S. Gray Citation of Merit—ILA's most prestigious award. Pat's dedication to the field, particularly evident during her recent tenure as senior editor of The Reading Teacher, is truly inspiring. It's been a pleasure collaborating with her on various ILA projects, and this recognition is richly deserved!
Announced the new editorial team of the Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy (JAAL)
Speaking of changes to journal editorial teams, we recently revealed the new team of editors for JAAL. During this transition period, the outgoing team will use their final volume year to finish any curated issues, publish invited content, and wrap up the articles they have already accepted. Meanwhile, the new team will settle into the process and begin accepting manuscripts for publication in 2025. With the new team comes new goals and priorities for the journal.
ILA HQ does not influence the content of the journals—other than to require that the teams maintain the gold standard of academic publishing: the double-blind review of research. Each editorial team is encouraged to bring their authentic selves to the task and use their unique voices to add their mark to their journal’s storied history. You can support the new team’s vision for JAAL by becoming a reviewer or writing for the journal.
And to our outgoing team, Judith Franzak, Koomi Kim, Heather Porter, and Matt Sroke, it has been a pleasure working with you. Thank you for your contributions both to JAAL and to the field of literacy education.
The 2025 ILA Grants & Awards opened
Soon after the announcement of the awards winners and grant recipients, we announced the slate of awards and grants available in 2025. The nomination forms and submission documents for the next cycle have been posted. If you have a few free days before summer break ends, spend a little time to nominate colleagues or yourself for recognition, or you can apply for one of our grants to support your research.
A plethora of professional learning opportunities
We've had some great digital events this summer—and throughout the entire year! Back in January, we kicked things off with Dyslexia for a Day, a truly eye-opening experience. Lori Oczkus started our summer series in June with her ILA Webinar Guiding Writers: Engaging Scaffolds for Powerful Results. We then partnered with the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) for Promoting Understanding With International Literature, where we revealed the ILA 2024 Children's and Young Adult Book Awards winners.
And just last week, we hosted the ILA Webinar: Literacy Strategies for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students. Our presenters, Crystal Cook and Dequita Crockett, provided invaluable information and resources for supporting this often-overlooked student population. It was truly inspiring to see ILA continuing to expand its reach and champion inclusivity in literacy education.
And also a summer sale!
Don't forget, ILA is currently running a special promotion on registration for three ILA Webinars released just before summer: Four Actions to Design Tailored Reading Instruction, A New Model for Teaching Phonics, Reading, and Writing, and Knowledge Building as the Foundation of Literacy Learning. Each webinar is packed with valuable insights, and you can access them at a discounted rate if you know the secret code (it’s summersale).
There’s plenty of summer left
There's still plenty of summer left, and we have a ton of exciting events and initiatives planned to keep the learning going strong. Join us for From Facts to Fascination: Using Nonfiction to Drive Curriculum and Enthusiasm with Patricia Newman and Kirsten W. Larson on Tuesday, August 13. Heidi Anne Mesmer is presenting Time in Text: Differentiating Instruction for Intermediate Students Struggling With Word Recognition on August 27. We've got big plans for International Literacy Day, which officially is on Sunday, September 8, but will be observed on Monday, September 9. And we're launching an ILA SmartBrief, which will deliver the latest literacy news right to your email.
And there's even more to come! Keep an eye out for additional events and initiatives coming later this year. You won't want to miss it!