Kwame Alexander is an award-winning children’s author, but when he talks about his job, he doesn’t mention writing or selling books.

“My job is to change the world one word at a time,” the Newbery-winning author of The Crossover

Kwame Alexander

says. “That is not an easy thing to do. It requires putting in a kind of work that is unrelenting, that finds [me] in airports and hotels constantly. But ultimately, I don’t stop to think about it. I just know what I have to do, and I do it. I love it, so I don’t even really think of it as work.”

Not satisfied with being a bestselling author, poet, and speaker, as well as running a writers conference, visiting schools, developing television shows and a stage musical, and more, Alexander has now launched a nonprofit, One Word at a Time. The organization aims to spark a love of reading and writing in 8- to 15-year-olds.

The main initiative of One Word at a Time is the Author Study series. Educators can register for four virtual visits throughout the school year. In each, Alexander reads aloud from a book, does an interactive writing lesson, and has one or two guest authors jump into the Zoom session for 15 or 20 minutes of conversation and Q&A.

Alexander piloted the program over the last two years and learned a couple of important lessons. First, a Zoom event doesn’t have to look like the typical Zoom call.

“You can elevate and enhance the production quality to match, at the very least, what educators who are attending highly produced webinars experience, and, at best, what kids are experiencing when they’re streaming,” says Alexander.

The second lesson: Even what seems priced extremely low by author visit standards can be too expensive for many schools. One Word at a Time hopes to be part of the solution to that barrier.

“Starting this nonprofit was a way for us to focus on [making] sure that all schools have access to this reading and writing program at a rate that is affordable,” Alexander says. “If we do it right, and we raise enough funds, there’ll be scholarships available for schools who can’t afford it at all.”

Alexander has now added fundraising to his list of responsibilities, and while he admits he is not comfortable asking people for money, he is motivated by his commitment to the cause. He is also intent on authors getting paid what they are worth. Get enough schools to sign up and, even at that low cost, Alexander says, the authors will be properly paid for their time. So far, no fellow creators have turned down his request to be part of the program.

The four 45-minute virtual visits cost $119 total. The guest authors for the 2025-26 school year are Erin Entrada Kelly, Alan Gratz, Andrea Pinkney, Karyn Parsons, Grace Lin, and Rachel Toalson.

In addition to the Author Study, there is a Teacher Study program—a free, interactive 60-minute livestream created to uplift and support educators and librarians throughout the school year. Each event led by Alexander is expected to include a discussion-based format with chat, Q&A, and occasional breakouts with practical classroom ideas, downloadable handouts, curated study links, and recommended reading.

“The idea is really to just give support to classroom teachers and librarians in this area of reading engagement—strategies and conversations with folks who are doing this work in schools,” says Tori Bachman, One Word at a Time executive director and chief program officer.

Librarians are an important part of One Word at a Time’s board and advisory team, and lead some of the Teacher Study events.

“Librarians are at the heart of this movement,” says Bachman.

There are additional plans for mentor author workshops and continuing a series of community-centered webinars begun last year, called Action Dreaming.

“Action Dreaming is more centered on creating community around educators, librarians, and caregivers, and really thinking about teaching children instead of teaching curriculum,” says Bachman.

Schools can also sign up for the September 16 virtual Literacy Pep Rally, hosted by Alexander. Surprise guest authors will join him for the event and Q&A, and he is expected to announce a new “book-centered, year-long event.”

As librarians and classroom teachers continue to face book challenges and access issues, One Word at a Time plans to celebrate reading and spotlight children’s authors. Alexander is not worried about the effort becoming targeted by book banners.

“I’m not concerned in the least bit for the same reason I’m not concerned about whether one of my books gets banned, for the same reason I’m not concerned about microaggressions,” he says. “Those are other people’s problems. I am not the problem. What I’m trying to do is become a better person and create better human beings who can ultimately make this world better.”

He won’t spend his time and energy on the naysayers and haters, he says. His role in this fight is “upliftment” and “creating a literature and a literacy movement that is going to engage, inspire, and empower young people to grow up to become better adults than we are.”

And if the censors come, they come. He has faced it before with people challenging and removing his books, and starting this new nonprofit is part of his response.

“This is my way of resisting and fighting back,” he says. “I am not a reactionary person. I take action.”

And this action centers the mission.

“This is not a money-making venture,” he says. “This is a freedom-making venture, an imagination-making venture, a venture that is going to ensure that we practice what we preach, and that is that the mind of an adult begins in the imagination of a child. So let's do everything in our power to make sure every kid in this country has access to the books, the tools, the literacy to elevate their imaginations.”

For more information, to donate, or to register for any of the programs, visit onewordcommunity.org.