Welcome to the International Partnership Committee Homepage

International Partnership Committee Background

WSRA supports international literacy through a grant for those willing to take literacy materials to foreign countries. In a global society, literacy and an appreciation of other cultures are critical. WSRA promotes literacy through cross-cultural networking, professional exchanges, and the provision of funds and/or resource materials to support literacy initiatives or professional development in foreign countries.

Progress towards these goals:

  • WSRA has distributed books to schools in several foreign countries. Providing new books motivates students to develop their literacy skills and appreciation for literature.
  • WSRA has sponsored international memberships in the International Literacy Association with one journal title to facilitate professional development for educators.
  • WSRA has supported teachers with professional materials on topics requested by the foreign partnership schools and educators.
  • WSRA has supported cultural exchanges for literacy professionals.
  • WSRA has funded the travel expenses for educators from Wisconsin to the partnering countries with the goal of providing professional development.
  • WSRA has funded the visit of partnering educators to Wisconsin to share in the WSRA Leadership meetings and school visitations.

Past Partnership Initiatives (Some Continue)

WSRA established its first International Partnership in the early 1990's with members of the Romanian Reading Council. There were two international meetings between members of the WSRA leadership and the RRC. The first was in Reston, Virginia and the second was in Prague, Czech Republic. The partnership has continued, including some of the following activities:

  • WSRA provided travel expenses for two educators to travel to Romania to travel the country doing workshops.
  • WSRA provided travel expenses for a Romanian teacher to visit Wisconsin and do school observations.
  • WSRA provided teacher resource materials to a school in Bucharest, Romania.
  • WSRA provided travel expenses for a second set of educators to travel to Bucharest to do workshops for local teachers.
  • WSRA provided travel expenses for a Romanian educator to visit Wisconsin, doing school visits and attending a WSRA Leadership meeting.
  • WSRA continues to provide a membership in IRA with one journal title.
  • WSRA continues to provide a WSRA membership which includes all publications and monographs.

In 2008, WSRA and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay established a partnership with Peru with the Universidad Nacional de Tumbes (UNT), as part of an environmental literacy project initiated by colleagues in Tumbes.

  • WSRA provided some expenses and materials for two committee members to travel to Tumbes.
  • WSRA educators provided staff development at two elementary schools, collaborating with university faculty and on several occasions, the equivalent to the Wisconsin DPI. Five faculty members from Tumbes visited in Green Bay and were hosted by WSRA committee members in the US/Tumbes exchange.

Other Partnership activities:

  • WSRA partnered with the Wisconsin organization “Not Forgotten International” to collect books for the Saharawi refugee camp in the Sahara Desert to support an English language school.
  • WSRA sent a Kindle to the Saharawi refugee camp in the Sahara Desert.