Author Kwame Alexander has launched a national literacy nonprofit called One Word at a Time. Alexander’s 501(c)(3) organization aims to inspire middle graders to read and try their hand at creative writing, while providing opportunities for children’s authors to meet their readers and educational resources for teachers and school librarians to expand their curricula.

One Word at a Time gets its name from Alexander’s belief that “every word counts,” and that we change the world “one word at a time.” He described himself as a get-things-done person who’s concerned with a decline in reading and information sharing. “If we have the idea, let’s pull it off tomorrow!” he said. Not one to let any opportunity go by, he's juggling multiple creative endeavors in addition to the nonprofit, including a stage musical adaptation of The Crossover, commissioned by Chatauqua Theater Company and with music and lyrics by original Hamilton cast member Christopher Jackson.

When a good idea comes along, “we’ve got to pilot it, we’ve got to troubleshoot, we’ve got to strategize," he said. "I’m ready to go, because we’re at a time in our country where I don’t want to lose our kids. I don’t want them to be hopeless, uninformed, or unprepared.”

Innovative educational projects “can ultimately save our kids,” Alexander said. Referencing the existential threats to education and libraries at the federal level, he said that One Word at a Time “can be my way of resisting, of fighting back, of trying to ensure that the imaginations of our young people are elevated in a way that I don’t think this administration cares about.”

One Word at a Time developed from virtual and in-person school visits. Alexander recalled a five-day stretch of reading his Newbery-winning novel, The Crossover, on Instagram Live during Covid—“there were thousands of kids and teachers tuning in every day for an hour and a half”—and emerging from pandemic hibernation to visit schools again. During his 23-year writing career to date, he estimates that he has visited 1,200 schools around the world, and whether staying home or touring, he notices pros and cons.

After Covid, “I began to think, what about students and teachers who can’t afford to bring me in? How do I reach them?” he asked. When he tried livestreaming again in 2023, “we had about 1,600 schools tune in,” so he evolved his book talks into a low-cost virtual author visit series called Author Study, with cameos from children’s writers, classroom resources for teachers, and live q&as and writing tips for students.

Alexander realized he had a startup company on his hands. “Those are three facets of a business,” he said, so he asked himself, “Is this a for-profit business, or is this a non-profit business? With a nonprofit, I felt like we could have more reach, become more sustainable, and serve the public in a way that is so needed right now, especially with the attack on books, literacy, and intelligence, the right to read, and the right to learn.”

He also saw promise in partnerships for a literacy nonprofit, which enables “access to funding and donors who see the value and the necessity of doing this right now,” he said. “We need to ensure that young people have all the tools they need to imagine a better world, and I posit that begins between the pages of a book. It’s simple: let’s make sure all the kids have access to all the books.”

Building Blocks of a Nonprofit

Tori Mello Bachman, director of education at Alexander’s media company, Big Sea Entertainment, is One Word at a Time’s executive director. For the past year, she and Alexander have been in conversation about founding the nonprofit, establishing a board of directors, and writing a strategic plan. “The turn of the new year was when we applied for nonprofit status,” Bachman said. “Our advisory team is still growing and made up of educators, librarians, a couple of authors, and a person with vast nonprofit experience to give us good intel and insight.”

The Author Study virtual visits began in 2024–2025 and are foundational to the organization, Bachman said. They’re “more affordable than bringing an author in person, but there’s still a barrier. There’s not a lot of funding for author visits even if they’re virtual.” After a successful pilot year, One Word at a Time’s team talked about how to put other authors into the hosting chair, create interactive online events for classrooms and school libraries, and encourage middle schoolers to use their imaginations.

Alexander also would like to gamify reading with a “Jeopardy-esque” tournament or trivia game. It’s still under wraps, he said, “but I will tell you this. Obviously, it involves books. Obviously, it involves kids. Obviously, it involves prizes. I can’t wait to unveil next year.”

For now, One Word at a Time will open the Author Study series with a fast-paced Literacy Pep Rally that Bachman calls a “let’s get hyped about reading” session. At last year’s Pep Rally, Alexander surprised students with a visit from Little League pitcher Mo’ne Davis, a tie-in to the baseball-playing heroine of his novel Black Star. The Author Study lineup for 2025–2026 includes Alan Gratz, Erin Entrada Kelly, Andrea Pinkney presenting with Karyn Parsons, and R.L. Toalson presenting with Grace Lin, plus special guests to be announced.

The season costs $119 for all four events. “We’re charging simply to cover our costs, and we know our break-even,” Bachman said, adding that One Word at a Time anticipates offering free webinars and lesson plans for educators. “A lot of the conversation right now is about perceived value, because you get about 35–40% of folks who sign up to actually attend.” Those who miss the live show have access to the Zoom recording for 10 days after each event.

Alexander is mindful of the price tag, even though paid registration helps educators commit to showing up. “Little cost, to some Title I schools, may be still unreachable,” he said. “A school may not be able to afford this fee. But perhaps [the nonprofit] can offer some scholarships.” His thoughts turned to his late friend, literacy advocate Kylene Beers, who died in June. “She was a colleague, a mentor, an expert in the field of reading,” he recalled. “During my last conversation with her, she had some great ideas that she wanted me to partner on. So we’ve decided to offer Dr. Kylene Beers Scholarships to schools that need that assistance.”

He's also gotten in touch with a number of author friends, including Martha Brockenbrough, Jerry Craft, and Jason Reynolds. “It’s a worthy cause,” he said. “I’m literally going to call everyone, because over the years, everyone has called me. So now it’s time to get those favors back, my friend.”

In less than a year, One Word at a Time is just getting started. “I want to be able to reach thousands of schools, show the power of poetry, and share my story,” Alexander said. “I want to leave with these kids being so excited about books, as if they just attended a rock star concert.”