[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 129 (Thursday, September 24, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1797]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SHARON DARLING IS AWARDED THIS YEAR'S ALBERT SCHWEITZER PRIZE FOR 
                            HUMANITARIANISM

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ANNE M. NORTHUP

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 24, 1998

  Mrs. NORTHUP. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a Louisville-
resident who is dedicated to breaking the cycle of illiteracy.
  Sharon Darling is being awarded this year's Albert Schweitzer Prize 
for Humanitarianism, joining the ranks of former President Jimmy 
Carter, former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop and Marian Wright 
Edelman, president of the Children's Defense Fund. This award, 
administered by John Hopkins University, recognizes ``exemplary 
contributions to humanity and the environment.''
  Truly, the work of Sharon Darling has been felt not only by the 
Louisville community, but throughout our nation. As the founder of the 
National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL), Sharon has pioneered a 
program that combines early childhood education, adult literacy 
education, parent support and structured interaction between parents 
and their children.
  Sharon is a perfect recipient for this year's award because of her 
dedication to breaking the grasp of poverty by teaching families the 
skills so necessary to succeed in our society. Without the ability to 
read, individuals are restricted in their ability to get ahead in our 
world. Illiteracy is a cycle because parents' inability to read is 
reflected in the ability of their children to succeed in the classroom.
  The fact is a child's success in school is linked to the education of 
the parents and the ability of the parents to earn a living. What the 
National Center of Family Literacy has learned is that to approach 
literacy through the family is the surest way to increase education 
levels of adults and children because this approach expands the skills 
of both and draws on the power of the family to affect its own future.
  In an era where individuals are moving from welfare rolls into the 
workforce, Sharon Darling and the NCFL have worked in Louisville and 
throughout the country to free families from the trap of poverty and 
ignorance.
  I am thrilled Sharon Darling is being awarded the Albert Schweitzer 
Prize for Humanitarianism and am honored to recognize her today for her 
commitment to a truly noble goal. Literacy is a key to success, and 
Sharon is using that key to give families nationwide the chance for a 
brighter future.

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