In December 2006 First Book president and co-founder Kyle Zimmer was named Social Entrepreneur of the Year in the United States by the international Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship. She concluded her year with a trip to Davos, Switzerland for the annual World Economic Forum last month. Here, Kyle writes about the three-day Summit for Social Entrepreneurs in Zurich preceding the Forum.

“A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Switzerland to attend the Schwab Foundation’s annual Summit for Social Entrepreneurs as well as the World Economic Forum.

At both gatherings, I had the honor to hear some of the brightest individuals on the planet speak about how they are tackling some of the world’s largest social problems. I was inspired by their stories. There are too many to list them all, but to give you a few examples:

In Singapore, Jack Sim has made sanitation issues and public toilets his mission to help save the lives of millions of children each year. In Chile, Mary Anne Muller Prieto has founded a school that focuses on the most troubled youth. Students graduate with a technical degree in farming and organic agriculture and, in the process, learn the life and leadership skills to turn their lives around.

I was humbled to find myself in the company of these individuals – true heroes working at great risk and sacrifice not only to themselves but also to their families. They are moving mountains in the face of tremendous opposition, which makes me believe that here in the most open society in the world, we too, can solve the literacy crisis plaguing our nation.

As we look ahead, First Book is poised for significant growth in our capacity to end illiteracy. We stand firm in our commitment to reach the most disadvantaged children and we are thankful for your continued help as we speed ahead.”