Today is International Literacy Day, an annual observance for focusing attention on the importance of literacy around the world. There are events in schools and communities around the globe today to mark the occasion.

The theme of International Literacy Day 2015 is “Literacy and Sustainable Societies.” UNESCO notes that “[l]iteracy skills are the prerequisite for the learning of a broader set of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values required for creating sustainable societies,” while at the same time, “progress in areas of sustainable development, such as health and agriculture, serves as an enabling factor in the promotion of literacy and literate environments.”

International Literacy Day celebrations are generally more prominent outside of the Unites States, although many U.S. adult literacy programs mark the day with events or announcements. This UNESCO page has links to some of the more prominent ILD 2014 events.

For those of you who are fans of infographics, here is the official UNESCO ILD 2015 infographic (click on it to see the entire thing):