Barbara Bush’s Remarkable Legacy Accelerating Impact for Family Literacy

Apr 18 2018

Peter Diamandis & Shlomy Kattan

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Images Courtesy of George Bush Presidential Library and Museum

We at XPRIZE are saddened to hear of the passing of Mrs. Barbara Bush. Mrs. Bush was a passionate, selfless and dedicated champion for family literacy whose vision for a world where every child and parent has an opportunity for a better life through education was as audacious in its optimism as it was hopeful in its ambition. On this solemn occasion, we celebrate her remarkable legacy.

Mrs. Bush believed in the power of parents as educators and role models. With that dream, she always kept us as a country and a society looking towards a brighter future for all. She did so with an eye toward innovation, unwavering determination, a heaping dose of faith, and a great sense of humor and humility.

Entering her tenth decade, Mrs. Bush recognized that to accelerate the impact of her work in the family literacy space meant taking a big leap. She wanted more people with more ideas to tackle the challenge of adult low-literacy. That is how we came to launch the Barbara Bush Foundation Adult Literacy XPRIZE—the vision and audacity of a former first lady who had dedicated her later years to making sure children and their parents had every chance to improve their lives.

Mrs. Bush’s effectiveness as an education pioneer is a constant and powerful reminder that the home is a child’s first school and a parent is a child’s first teacher. We at XPRIZE are honored to continue serving in her legacy and this vision through the Barbara Bush Foundation Adult Literacy XPRIZE. We remain truly committed to working with global innovators, and across sectors, to make exponential strides in adult learning solutions so that all children and families have the opportunity to succeed.

Our hearts and prayers go out to the Bush family, and to the many friends, educators, and learners, both big and small, young and old, whose lives were touched by hers.

Peter Diamandis & Shlomy Kattan