Pam Allyn   Executive Director

Pam Allyn is the Executive Director of LitLife. She is also the Founding Director of Books for Boys, a literacy initiative at the Children's Village, a residential treatment center and school for at risk boys ages 6-21.

Pam is the recipient of the James Patterson Page Turner Award for excellence in bringing literacy to underserved populations. She also recently received a Disney Points of Light Foundation Award for her work bringing books and literacy to children. In May 2007 The Children's Village presented Pam with its Legacy of Service Award for her tireless efforts to bring the magic of books and reading and companionship to kids whose path through life has been very hard.

Her personal quest to bring literacy to every child stems from a deeper desire to bring dignity to every child, and to empower children to read and write powerfully, effectively and with passion and delight, so that they may grow up able to fulfil their dreams and leave their positive imprint on the world. Pam has started a not-for-profit, LitWorld International, Inc., to further this dream.

The daughter and granddaughter of teachers, Pam knew from a young age that she would be a teacher. A graduate of Amherst College, Pam received an M.A. from Teachers College, Columbia University. For ten years, Pam enjoyed wonderful learning and leadership opportunities at the Columbia University Reading and Writing Project, first as a staff developer, and then as Director of Funded Projects.

Pam is a motivational speaker for audiences of teachers, administrators, librarians and parents on best practice methods for improving children's skills in reading and writing, and has led seminars and workshops both locally and internationally. Her first professional book, The Complete 4: How to Teach Reading and Writing Through Daily Lessons, Monthly Units and Yearlong Calendars, was published by Scholastic in November 2007. Pam has followed up that book with a series of books chock-full with day to day lessons called The Complete Year Series published by Scholastic 2008 and co-authored with her by her wonderful LitLife colleagues.

Pam is the author of an inspirational and practical book for parents and caregivers called What to Read When due from Penguin in spring 2009. Pam is also featured in the recently released LitLife DVD The Window and the Mirror: Best Practice Methods for the Teaching of Writing K-2, which is an innovative look at how to link writing lessons to writing conferences.

Pam is on the advisory board of the Dream Charter School in Harlem, the Leadership Council of Global Action for Children, the Advisory Board of the Amherst College Center for Community Engagement and the English Language Arts Scope and Sequence Advisory Group for the New York City Department of Education.

She lives in Hastings on Hudson, New York with her husband Jim and two daughters Katie and Charlotte, as well as their dog Emily Dickinson and cat Eleanor Roosevelt.