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Advocate. Author. Civic Innovator. Changemaker.

Creating a Legacy that Inspires Generations

Meet Lizzie Shacklett—Founder and CEO of Literacy Is Lit, 13 Under-30 honoree, United States Senate Youth Program Delegate, and a global achiever on a mission to make an impact.

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Meet Lizzie Shacklett

Lizzie is the Founder and CEO of Literacy Is Lit, a nonprofit through which she has distributed over 55,500 books worth $275,000 to underserved children and Title-I schools across the Mid-Atlantic region. She is the author of a childrenโ€™s book, I Read Before Bed, which she has shared in schools, libraries, and community centers throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as part of her โ€œLearning With Lizzieโ€ program: aiming to inspire a love of reading and learning in the next generations. Through Literacy Is Lit, Lizzie strives to increase literacy rates, fill educational gaps, and work towards a future where all children are empowered with the skills and the confidence they need to succeed. Having served as Miss Pennsylvaniaโ€™s Teen in 2023, Lizzie traveled across the state and participated in over a hundred service engagements to further her cause. At her high school, Lizzie is the President of Service Council, the Secretary General of Model United Nations, a Student Ambassador Leadership Team Head Tour Guide, an appointee to the Honor Council, and a member of the a cappella group, the Bel Cantos. Last summer, Lizzie interned for State Senator Amanda M. Cappelletti as a Communications Intern and also taught a public speaking workshop to middle and high school students at a summer camp in Changsha, China. Having attended elementary school in Singapore, Lizzie wants to pursue Chinese and Political Science. Her passion is serving others and her purpose is to doing so through government leadership and international collaboration.

Xoxo, Lizzie

Areas of Impact

Catalyzing Change Through Leadership, Literacy, and Language

From leading Literacy Is Lit and advocating for educational equity

to engaging in civic leadership and cultivating connections through language,

Lizzie is committed to creating meaningful change. 

Literacy Is Lit

Founder & CEO

I am passionate about educational opportunities, and I am an advocate for literacy. Recognizing extremely low literacy rates despite the importance of basic literacy skills, understanding inequities and disparities within our school systems, and fueled by my personal love for reading, I founded the nonprofit Literacy Is Lit. I collect preloved and new books through book drives, which I donate to underserved children and Title 1 schools in need. To date, I have distributed over 35,000 books throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. I also run an Ambassador program where I mentor 5 students in 5 different school districts to support them in running their own book drives. Furthermore, I have authored a childrenโ€™s book, โ€œI Read Before Bed,โ€ which I have shared in schools, libraries, and community centers as a supplement to my โ€œLearning With Lizzieโ€ presentation. This programming, including both my book and interactive presentation, serves to emphasize the importance of literacy skills, encourage students to read, and inspire in them a love of learning. In addition, I have worked with organizations like BookSmiles and The Philadelphia Alliance to Restore School Librarians to further this cause. Through โ€œLiteracy Is Lit,โ€ I strive to ensure everyone has the literacy skills they need to succeed.

BookSmiles

Lead Ambassador

Collaborating with BookSmiles, I host book drives to collect preloved books in the city and suburbs of Philadelphia, sort books at BookSmiles’ warehouse, organize and host Ambassador meetings at their headquarters to increase community engagement, and assist with their annual 5K run. I have also helped establish and maintain partners for BookSmiles, including the bookstore Main Point Books and the Kiwanis Club of the Main Line.

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Civic Engagement

Communications Intern for Pennsylvania
State Senator Amanda M. Cappelletti

This past summer, I had the incredible opportunity to work as a Communications Intern in State Senator Amanda M. Cappellettiโ€™s office. Converging communications and public service, I assisted the Senatorโ€™s staff by writing press releases, crafting speeches for the Senate floor, creating social media content, completing media advisories, and compiling resources for constituents. This internship immersed me in the world of public service, allowing me to explore the inner workings of our state legislature, learn about Pennsylvaniaโ€™s policies, and be inspired by so many motivated leaders determined to drive positive change for the Commonwealth. I am grateful to have played a small part in serving our state, and I look forward to applying everything I learned to my future endeavors in public service.

63rd United States Senate Youth Program Delegate

I was honored to join Senator John Fetterman and Senator Dave McCormick in representing Pennsylvania during the 63rd annual USSYP Washington Week, held March 1 - 8, 2025. I was selected among the stateโ€™s top student leaders to be part of the 104 national student delegation that attended meetings and briefings with senators, the president, a justice of the Supreme Court, leaders of cabinet agencies, and other officials throughout the week. I also received a $10,000 college scholarship for undergraduate study.

Chinese

Public Speaking Workshop Teacher at Changsha WES Academy 

In the Summer of 2024, I had the incredible opportunity to teach public speaking to middle and high school students at a summer camp in Changsha, China.

 

I led daily workshops, facilitated engaging activities to improve the students’ speaking skills and confidence, and helped prepare them for their camp-end speech competition. Witnessing their growth was invaluable.

 

The students and I practiced our language skills with each other, supported one another’s progress, and created cross-cultural connections; our time together was truly transformative.

 

่ฟ™ๆฌก็ป้ชŒๆ”นๅ˜ไบ†ๆˆ‘็š„ไบบ็”Ÿใ€‚ๅ› ไธบ้™คไบ†็ปƒไน ่ฏดไธญๆ–‡ไปฅๅค–๏ผŒๆˆ‘ไนŸ่ทŸไธญๅ›ฝๅญฆ็”Ÿๅปบ็ซ‹ๅพˆๅคš็‰ขๅ›บ็š„ๅ‹่ฐŠใ€‚ๆˆ‘ไปฌๆ‰“็ ดๆ–‡ๅŒ–็š„้š”้˜‚๏ผŒไบ’็›ธๅญฆไน ใ€‚

 

Looking back, I reflect on my own growth-not only in terms of my language skills but also my worldview.

 

I will forever cherish the conversations, the memories, and the friendships from my time in Changsha, and I am immensely grateful for this life-changing experience.

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Miss Pennsylvania's Teen 

As Miss Pennsylvania’s Teen (2023 - 2024), I served as a representative of the Miss Pennsylvania Scholarship Foundation and traveled across the Commonwealth to give back to people through my nonprofit, Literacy Is Lit. I visited multiple counties and completed over 100 appearances and service engagements, promoting the importance of reading in schools, libraries, community events, and the State Capitol. In addition, I worked with the American Heart Association, the Eagles Autism Foundation, the Philadelphia Flyers Recess Program, Cops N’ Kids Reading Rooms, Barnes & Noble Easton, the Lehigh Valley Children’s Hospital, State Representative Curry, State Representative Borowski, and many more to further other valuable causes and make impactful change in the lives of Pennsylvanians.

School Leadership

Student Leadership Ambassador Team &
Lead Tour Guide
President - Service Council
Deputy Editor - The Wick, School Newspaper
Secretary General/President - Model United Nations 
Appointee - Honor Council

Extracurriculars

Bel Cantos, Award-winning A Cappella Group
Dance Motion Performance Team
Writing Center Tutor
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Children's Book Author

I Read Before Bed

When six students read before bed, they learn valuable lessons that they can apply to their daily lives. From performing acts of kindness and building self-confidence to recycling and making healthy choices, the story of I Read Before Bed demonstrates that each book you read equips you for success.

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