Welcome to our National Literacy Month series of podcasts, presented in partnership between the Be Podcast Network and Reading Is Fundamental. 

I’m proud to launch the series by speaking with Alicia Levi, President and CEO of Reading Is Fundamental (RIF). During Alicia’s tenure, RIF reached the notable milestone of serving its 100 millionth child. Throughout her career, Alicia has been committed to advancing education and has worked to transform the lives of children through smart strategies to improve academic outcomes.

Our conversation covers:

• The state of children’s literacy in the U.S. and reasons for optimism
• Understanding RIF’s work and mission
• What listeners will gain from this content partnership
• Why partnerships are a valuable part of RIF’s approach to making an impact
• If parents can only do one thing to support kids’ interest in reading…
• One thing for listeners to remember today

More content and engagement:

• Subscribe to The Authority for more in-depth author interviews: https://authoritypodcast.net/subscribe 
• Visit https://bepodcast.network to learn about all our shows.
• Learn more about Reading Is Fundamental at www.rif.org 

About today’s guest

Alicia Levi currently serves as President and CEO of Reading Is Fundamental (RIF). Since the start of her tenure in 2016, Alicia’s vision and guidance have led to an increased digital presence offering substantial book resources, a greater depth and breadth of community engagement, and a growth of program offerings including RIF's digital library, Skybrary. Alicia’s leadership has also ushered in an enhanced focus on the importance of race, equity and inclusion within children’s literacy and a key pillar of RIF’s programmatic offerings. During Alicia’s tenure, RIF reached the notable milestone of serving its 100 millionth child. Throughout her career, Alicia has been committed to advancing education and has worked to transform the lives of children through smart strategies to improve academic outcomes.

About the host

Ross Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Twitter @RossBRomano or LinkedIn