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International Webinar Connects USF and Irish Literacy Experts
On Wednesday, September 24, 2025, the David C. Anchin Center for the Advancement of Teaching supported an international Family Literacy Community of Practice webinar titled “Hug Your Book: Cultivating Joy in Early Literacy.” The event brought together literacy leaders from the United States and Ireland, highlighting the power of global partnerships to strengthen learning opportunities for children and families.
The webinar featured two respected literacy experts: Dr. Jenifer Jasinski Schneider, Dean of the USF College of Education, and Dr. Lána McCarthy, Lecturer at South East Technological University (Ireland). Together, they explored how family literacy practices foster meaningful connections between parents and children through shared reading experiences, while emphasizing the importance of joy, care, and engagement in early literacy development.
This special session also celebrated the international collaboration forged through the Hug Your Book program, an initiative rooted in strengthening family literacy through joyful reading routines. Participants were encouraged to reflect collaboratively on strategies to support and sustain family literacy practices across communities and contexts. The event was hosted in partnership with the University of South Florida and supported by Fulbright, underscoring Fulbright’s commitment to building cross-cultural connections through education.
The webinar was recorded and shared broadly to extend its impact beyond the live audience. The recording can be viewed here: