Canadian Teachers Honour Heather Reisman For Championing Literacy in Canada

TORONTO, July 12, 2012 /CNW/ - The Indigo Love of Reading Foundation is delighted to celebrate their Founder and Chair Heather Reisman, as the recipient of the 2012 Public Education Advocacy Award of the Canadian Teachers' Federation (CTF).  The announcement was made today by the CTF President, Paul Taillefer, at the federation's Annual General Meeting currently underway in Halifax. The CTF Public Education Advocacy Award is presented annually to groups or individuals outside the teaching profession who have made major contributions to promote and support public education in Canada.

According to Mr. Taillefer, "Heather was nominated by the CTF Executive Committee for her tireless commitment to raising awareness about the importance of literacy in young people's lives, for her significant financial contributions to support school libraries through the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation and for urging governments to reinvest in the public elementary school system."

Since its inception in 2004, the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation has donated $13 million to schools in need across the country, providing access to more than 1,000,000 books for 36,000 children.

For over a decade, the CTF Public Education Advocacy Award has also been bestowed on other highly respected Canadians who have championed public education through their advocacy and targeted initiatives. They include John Ralston Saul, author; Annie Kidder, People for Education in Ontario; l'Association francophone des parents du Nouveau-Brunswick; Mary Gordon, founder of Roots of Empathy; Alfie Kohn, author; Eric P. Newell, prominent business leader; Gerard Kennedy, former Education Minister of Ontario; David King, former Education Minister of Alberta and Félix St-Denis, creator of "Echo d'un people", just to name a few.

About the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation
Indigo Books & Music Inc. founded the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation in 2004 to address the underfunding of public schools, their libraries and the resulting literacy crisis.  Every year the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation commits $1.5 million to high-needs elementary schools so they can rebuild their libraries with the purchase of new books and education resources.  To date the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation has committed more than $13 million to more than 500 schools nationally.

Media Contact: Lisa Huie
Indigo Books & Music Inc.
416-646-8926
[email protected]