LAFAYETTE, La. — Shocked by statistics showing Louisiana among the states with the lowest child literacy rates, 15-year-old author Halee Marie has launched an initiative to encourage reading among Acadiana youth and combat illiteracy.
“I was completely shocked, and I knew my mission as an author included encouraging reading among youth,” Marie said.
According to the National Literacy Institute, millions of Americans struggle with functional illiteracy — an issue that makes comprehension a challenge. “This can be generational, meaning, even though they can read and write, they have comprehension issues, such as reading the directions on a package can be difficult, or even filling out a job application, which can affect their income level, which affects how they raise their families,” Marie explained.
To address these challenges, Marie recently launched "Fifteen for Fifteen" — a program through which she donates 15 copies of her books each month to libraries, organizations, and classrooms across Acadiana. Staff at the Lafayette Public Library say the initiative is already making a difference.
“It’s incredible, yeah, we love to see people, especially young people, pushing for literacy in our community,” said Ben Paramore, the youth services manager at the Lafayette Public Library.
Paramore emphasized the importance of literacy for lifelong learning. “You have to be literate to understand what's going on in the world — no matter where you go, every day, you're gonna read— whether you're reading a book or you're reading something online or the news or whatever it is, it's important for everyday life,” he said.
Through Fifteen for Fifteen, Marie hopes to inspire the next generation not only to read, but also to lead. “I really hope youth feel empowered knowing that a teen like themselves wrote a book and feel like they can achieve great things,” she said.
Marie's efforts reflect a growing movement to improve literacy and empower local youth, one book and one reader at a time.
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