Using Innovative Literacies to Develop Leadership and Agency: Inspiring Transformation and Hope: (Advances in Media, Entertainment, and the Arts)

The global pandemic has caused devastating social and economic disruptions worldwide. These circumstances have widened and deepened the inequalities of access to socio-economic and academic achievement for diverse groups. This new reality compels us to look for possibilities of developing leadership and agency that will lead to transformation and hope in our communities. One of the ways to implement change is through the use of literacy practices. Utilizing diverse and innovative literacy approaches can allow for better access to educational opportunities and promote critical thinking, a better understanding of the world, and an awareness of others and self. Using Innovative Literacies to Develop Leadership and Agency: Inspiring Transformation and Hope presents multiple innovative literacy approaches that promote self-leadership and agency for individuals and communities. The work included showcases practical field experiences supported by a theoretical framework. Covering topics such as spatial literacy, digital storytelling, art literacy, and self-leadership, this premier reference source is an essential resource for business leaders and executives, community leaders, faculty and administrators of both K-12 and higher education, pre-service teachers, teacher educators, students of higher education, librarians, researchers, and academicians.

About the Author :
Limor Pinhasi-Vittorio, Ph.D., is associate professor of Literacy. She is the Department Chair of Counseling, Leadership, Literacy and Special Education and the Coordinator of the graduate Literacy program at Lehman College, Bronx NY. Her research has focused on using critical literacy and the arts to promote social justice and empowerment for marginalized populations. Her recent works deal with using literacy as a healing process for women recovering from substance abuse and focuses on the interplay of literacy, specifically poetry slam, in creating safe spaces for learning and for gaining academic success. Her work continuously re-examines and re-defines literacy in current times and aims to foster change and advancement. She is an active researcher and believes that literacy is a human right. Elite Ben-Yosef , Ph.D., has taught Literacy Studies in universities and colleges for 25 years. She developed and pioneered community projects for raising voice and self-respect of disenfranchised women and youth (all work was done in a voluntary capacity). Elite worked with youth at the Nassau County Juvenile Detention Center and with women of the Glory House, NY, from whom she received the Perseverance Award for Service to the Community. In Israel she created a college-community partnership project with the Dept. of Social Work at Tel-Chai College and the Atidim Youth Center, focused on coaching marginalized groups toward self-empowerment and greater social participation. As founder and president of The BYEZ Foundation, Elite has been working with hostels for at-risk youth and boarding schools for children removed from dysfunctional homes, sponsoring higher education and providing them with the Mactub workshops that allow participants to rethink and rewrite their life stories as successful accomplishments. She has published widely and her collected work can be found at and on .