The Literary Genius Foundation

The Literary Genius Foundation is an organization whose goal is to provide Jamaican children from underserved communities such as, August Town, Jamaica with the support, encouragement, and skills they’ll need to become successful readers and, ultimately, to have confidence as students and adults.

Countless studies have confirmed that a wide range of social problems can be tied to educational deficiencies that deprive already economically disadvantaged students of the equal opportunities they deserve in their adult lives. The Literary Genius Foundation’s goal is to improve these conditions for one child at a time, particularly in families where parents lack the time or education to provide their children with the skills they need.

Modern educational research has made it possible to identify weak students early on and help them before it’s too late. By targeting at-risk three-to-five year-olds. The Literary Genius Foundation is able to instill a love of reading at a crucial age, a gift that will stay with students for decades to come.

Reading material is chosen with the goals of both engaging children and emphasizing their tremendous intelligence and potential. Children are exposed to stories they can relate to, with a focus on age-appropriate tales of Caribbean life and authors from the rich tradition of Jamaican children’s literature. By creating a relaxed and caring environment around reading, but providing enough structure to create a reassuring rhythm, The Literary Genius Foundation’s educators hope to promote habit-building and develop crucial critical thinking skills.

Our Guest Author Series also further encourages children to think of themselves as future authors and readers by introducing them to renowned Jamaican writers such as Kellie Magnus, Melanie Schwapp, Dr. Rebecca Tortello, and the late Linda Gambrill. The Literary Genius Foundation also provides opportunities for one-to-one sponsorship, where patrons may pay for diagnostic reading tests, reading material, and help pay instructors’ fees on behalf of individual children. The Foundation also provides advice and guidelines for our children’s parents to help them create the positive reading environments their children desperately need.

We hope you will consider contributing to our cause and helping us help the children who lack the support we take for granted.