Jennifer Swanson: Expanding Literacy to Change Lives

Children today have their heads buried in gadgets more than books, and that is a cause for concern. The pandemic has not helped improve the situation either. With educational institutions shutting down and life becoming mostly virtual, distractions in the form of social media and mobile apps have greatly hampered reading habits among children. According to a survey, one-third of children in the lower grades are missing reading benchmarks, a statistic that has significantly gone up following the pandemic. Moreover, increasing the interest of children in science from an early age may seem like an overwhelming task as they might find it boring, but it is not impossible as they are naturally driven to explore and experiment. Award-winning children’s author, speaker, teacher, and founder of KidLiteracy, Inc., Jennifer Swanson, is on a mission to encourage kids and engage their curiosity to discover science in everything around them.  

Passion for Science 

Calling Jennifer a science geek would not be wrong, as she started her science club in the garage of her home at the age of seven. She went on to get a B.S. in Chemistry from the US Naval Academy and an M.S. in Education (K-8 science) from Walden University. She currently serves as a middle school science instructor at Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Talented Youth. Author of more than 45 non-fiction and fiction books for children, Jennifer’s love for the written word started at the age of five when she wrote and illustrated books for her kindergarten class. She has dedicated herself to promoting literacy through her books for the past eight years. She also has presented at the American Library Association, National Council of Teachers of English, National Science Teacher Association conferences, the prestigious Highlights Foundation, the World Science Festival, and the Library of Congress’ National Book Festival.  

About KidLiteracy, Inc. 

In 2018, Jennifer founded KidLiteracy, Inc., a 501c3 non-profit focused on expanding literacy and STEM/STEAM education with the unique combination of digital media, fun activities, and dynamic presentations from authors and illustrators to prepare today’s students with skills sets for tomorrow. The exciting tours—both virtual and in-person—are aimed at equipping kids in grades K-8 with a holistic love and passion for books, facts, and science through listening, doing, reading, and connecting. This is accomplished by bringing authors and illustrators to schools to give dynamic presentations that engage and excite students to get into reading, writing, and STEM/STEAM literacy. KidLiteracy works hard to fundraise throughout the year in order to keep providing literacy for all schools in need.  

KidLiteracy follows the approach of Imagine, Explore, and Read to enhance the “imagination muscle” of young minds and increase literacy. Each presentation is upbeat, exciting, interactive, and inspires attendees to think about the world around them and how they fit into it. The presentations include a teacher pack featuring the Solve It! For Kids podcast, another program that Jennifer started during the pandemic. The award-winning podcast highlights STEAM/STEM experts on varied subjects who talk about intelligent solutions to everyday problems. Here, kids and families are invited to take on a challenge and solve a related problem, taking creativity and curiosity to a new level. A testimonial to the show’s popularity lies in the fact that it has more than 30,000 downloads within two years of being on air and has bagged the #1 spot in the Top 10 Best Podcasts for Learning by All Digital School. Recently, it was also picked up for distribution by Kinzoo Messenger (alongside prestigious paths hosted by NASA/Hubble).  

Leaving an Impact Through Initiatives 

Jennifer’s love for science and literacy is evident in the many programs and initiatives that she has started and is part of. She is the creator and administrator of STEM Tuesday, a weekly blog focusing on middle-grade and YA STEM books to provide teachers with tools to promote children’s love of science, technology, engineering, and math. She also started STEAMTeam2020, a marketing group of 40+ children’s authors that focuses on bringing attention to the newly released STEM/STEAM books. Her book, Brain Games: The Mind-blowing Science of Your Amazing Brain, was named one of the 50 Best Science Books Ever by ThePlanets.org. Brain Games was a kid’s TV show on National Geographic, and Jennifer was asked to write its book version, which she filled with colorful illustrations, friendly explanations, and fun activities that were appreciated by one and all.  

Her other books, including Super Gear: Nanotechnology and Sports Team Up, Astronaut-Aquanaut, and Parents’ Choice Gold Award Winner, Save the Crash-test Dummies, and her 2021 Kirkus Best Nature book, Outdoor School: Rocks, Fossils, and Shells, also resonate her passion for science and technology. Her books have been acclaimed and featured on the ‘Best Tech’ books list. Additionally, she has also won a Green Earth Book Honor Award, a Florida Book Award, California Reading Association awards, and National Science Teaching BEST STEM awards. 

Leaving Footprints of Inspiration 

An elated Jennifer just signed her 50th book contract and seems unstoppable. During the pandemic, KidLiteracy reached 5,000 students and gave away over $6,000 in free books, which has undoubtedly created a huge impact on their futures. In her latest book, Footprints Across the Planet, Jennifer stresses the importance of footprints of humans and animals that create an impact on the planet. Also, a huge supporter of girls/women in STEM, she is an active member of 500 Women Scientists and provides guidance on how girls can follow their own passion for science and technology in today’s world. She also encourages parents whose kids are interested in science to support them. Many adults listen to Jennifer’s podcasts to work towards nurturing their children’s interests, as parents’ guidance is important for a child to pursue his/her passion.  

To the children who are passionate about science, Jennifer suggests that they not give up, whatever the circumstances, keep their minds open, and follow their curiosity. For parents and teachers, Jennifer urges them to support those children who show an interest in science. She believes that with proper guidance and resources, children can take their interests to the next level and be future leaders that we all can be proud of.