Daniel Reichard, a fifth-grade teacher at Kate Waller Barrett Elementary School in Stafford, Virginia, a 2012 elementary education-urban education concentration graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, has been selected as one of the nation's literacy leaders named to the International Literacy Association's 2019 “30 Under 30” list.
“We are so proud of Daniel being named to this esteemed list of ‘30 Under 30' literacy educators,” Lara Luetkehans, dean of IUP's College of Education and Communications, said.
“Daniel, like all of the graduates of our literacy education program, are trained in delivering high quality literacy instruction which includes building a love for reading. Daniel's focus on meeting the children in his classroom where they are on their path to becoming a reader makes all the difference on the readers they will become."
The list celebrates rising leaders in the literacy field—a cohort of young innovators, disruptors, and visionaries creating positive change in the global literacy landscape.
“It is so important to create a love of reading in every student who walks into our classrooms because, for the short time that we have them, we are helping them to craft their very own reading identity,” Reichard said. He is originally from Knox. In 2018, he was named the Washington Post Teacher of the Year.
In addition to his classroom teaching, Reichard regularly hosts family nights, weekend field trips, camping trips, and innovation nights, and he makes home visits.
“The best ways to create a love of reading in our students would be to first let kids read what they want to read with no strings attached,” he said. “In addition, as teachers, we have to model what it means to be a reader.”
Representing 13 countries, this year's list of honorees includes educators, school administrators, nonprofit leaders, authors, volunteers, researchers, and social entrepreneurs.
While at IUP, Reichard was active in the Kappa Delta Pi education honor society. He has a master's degree in education leadership from George Mason University.
“The individuals on this list are solving critical issues—issues many of them have faced on their own paths to success,” said ILA Executive Director Marcie Craig Post. “Their contributions are paving the way to more accessible and equitable literacy learning in their schools, communities, and beyond. It's an honor to recognize these young leaders whose vision and tenacity are transforming our world.”
Reichard joins an elite class of emerging leaders. Past honorees include Shiza Shahid, cofounder of the Malala Fund; Andrew Sutherland, founder and chief technology officer of Quizlet; and Kathryn Lett, EL teacher at Kentwood Public Schools in Michigan.
ILA's “30 Under 30” honorees are featured in the January/February issue of Literacy Today, ILA's bi-monthly magazine.