On June 13, 2009, delegates at the National Community Literacy Convention in Buffalo, New York passed the Right to Literacy Declaration, supporting legislation and policy changes aimed at increasing literacy and numeracy levels across America. Convention participants signed the Right to Literacy Scroll and sent it out on a journey to communities across the United States. Over 50,000 signatures were collected including mayors, and community leaders, educators, employers, adult learners and funders. Within Des Moines, the Right to Literacy Scroll was signed by Drake University President, David Maxwell, Drake University School of Education Dean of Students, Jan McMahill, Governor Terry Branstad and over 800 Des Moines supporters of literacy.
On January 24th, Margaret Doughty, chairman of the U.S. Right to Literacy Campaign, and Carol Hamilton, U.S. National Commissioner for UNESCO, presented the Right to Literacy Scroll to UNESCO’s Education Sector, at a ceremony at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris presided over by Svein Osttveit, director of the Education Sector’s Executive Office. The final signature was Hilary Clinton prior to it being presented.
If the Scroll was unfurled from the top of the Eiffel Tower, it would reach to the ground with its 50,000 signatures. For more information about Adult Literacy efforts at Drake University, visit the Adult Literacy website.