Washington, D.C., September 8, 2025 — The Library of Congress Literacy Awards Program has named CitySchools Collaborative, formerly CityTutor DC, a 2025 Literacy Awards Successful Practice Honoree. CitySchools Collaborative is one of 15 organizations recognized this year for innovative approaches to literacy promotion. The monetary prize recognizes high-impact tutoring programming as a practice promoting literacy achievement for students furthest from opportunity.
“This prize from the Library of Congress is a tremendous honor and we’d like to share the recognition with so many of our collaborators, schools, and students who show up every day to help students read,” said Cat Peretti, CitySchools Collaborative Executive Director. “In DC, we’re proving that when we invest in evidence-based practices like high-impact tutoring, we can accelerate learning, close gaps, expand opportunity and show strong results for all students.”
The announcement comes on International Literacy Day, a global observance established by the United Nations to highlight the role of literacy in building just, peaceful, and sustainable societies.
“It feels especially meaningful to celebrate International Literacy Day with this recognition,” Peretti said. “It connects our work here locally to a larger global movement for literacy, affirming that the work we and our fellow honorees do to expand literacy is successful. It gives me energy and optimism for the future we can build for our students in DC, and beyond!”
For more information on CitySchools Collaborative, visit www.cityschoolscollaborative.org. To learn more or for questions about the Library of Congress Literacy Awards, please reach out to literacyawards@loc.gov.