GET LIT- WORDS IGNITE TO HONOR ANDERSON .PAAK AND CELEBRATE WME and VANS AT THE 2023 ANNUAL GALA

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Get Lit- Words Ignite, the Los Angeles-based education nonprofit whose mission is to increase literacy, mobilize youth, and energize communities through poetry and visual media, will be honoring renowned musician Anderson .Paak during the 2023 show, it was announced today by Get Lit Founder, Diane Luby Lane. The Gala will take place on Saturday, December 2nd at the Skirball Cultural Center.

Anderson .Paak is an 8-time GRAMMY winner, producer, songwriter, artist & director. .Paak's highly regarded 2020 single "Lockdown" was featured on several "Best Of" 2020 lists, including President Barack Obama's annual "Favorite Music" list. Recently, .Paak and Bruno Mars formed R&B superduo Silk Sonic, whose debut single "Leave The Door Open" and 2021 album received worldwide critical acclaim and 4 GRAMMY Awards. In addition to music, Anderson .Paak is the founder of The Brandon Anderson Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to uplifting communities through arts, education, and unique experiences. This year, they launched the .Paak House initiative to create a "safe-haven" for the next generation through community outreach, sponsored events, summer programs, & after-school programs.  Get Lit is proud to partner with .Paak House in 2024 with the launch of the Get Lit Creative Lab, giving young artists across LA hands-on experience in all facets of artistic creation–writing, video, music, and production–leading up to the Anderson .Paak's annual .Paak House in the Park concert for thousands of LA youth.

"We're so grateful to honor the artistry and genius of Anderson .Paak with our IGNITE ARTIST Award. The determination with which he pursues his unique creative vision and the way he has personally navigated through revolution and evolution, transforming from a kid in SoCal into the international music icon he is today, is unique and serves as an inspiration to every young person who enters the doors of Get Lit" said founder Diane Luby Lane.  "Additionally, the gifts that Vans and WME have given to Get Lit have been so transformative and have provided employment opportunities for so many of our youth. The funds that we make at the gala will help underwrite Get Lit's award-winning literacy curricula for thousands of Los Angeles County students and provide so many creative opportunities for expression."

In addition to honoring Anderson .Paak, Get Lit will recognize WME and Vans as this year's Ignite Award Honorees.

WME is a leading talent agency representing some of the world's greatest artists, talent, and creators and has been a consistent supporter of Get Lit over the years, offering opportunities for our youth, employee volunteerism, and an unprecedented support of social impact-related activities in the philanthropic sector as a whole. 

Since early 2021, Vans has generously supported Get Lit with grants & sponsorships.  Vans is a close partner of the Get Lit community, sponsoring events like the Why I Rise Mental Health competition, providing opportunities for youth to perform or become Vans Global Ambassadors, and offering consistent support to the authentic creative expression of youth voices in art, in life and every intersection thereof. 

Get Lit ignites confidence and promotes literacy through free programming and Spoken Word-powered curricula as we work to repair pandemic learning loss and daunting reports of teenage sadness. Get Lit provides community and employment opportunities for hundreds of youth poets, podcasters, TV filmmakers, and musicians in Los Angeles and beyond. At the heart of their work is the hope that all young people, in times of crisis and joy, reach for an outlet to share their light with the world. 

At the Gala, you'll see firsthand the impact of your support on the students and neighborhoods. Guests of this year's Gala will enjoy dinner, drinks and a silent auction, as well as a special showcase of Get Lit poets. Because nothing tells the story of Get Lit better than watching poets perform their own spectacular Spoken Word poetry. 

Join us at our Gala to celebrate our mission and learn how you can support this life-changing work! 

For more information on Get Lit, please visit: https://www.getlit.org/.  To purchase tickets or donate, to Get Lit, please visit: https://www.getlit.org/gala. To make a tax deductible donation, please visit Get Lit Donations. All proceeds will support Get Lit's literacy programs throughout Southern California schools. 

ABOUT GET LIT 

Get Lit - Words Ignite is a Los Angeles-based education nonprofit founded in 2006 by author and educator Diane Luby Lane, Get Lit uses Spoken Word and visual media to improve literacy and mobilize youth and their communities. Through in- and after-school programs centered on classic and contemporary poetry and multi-media expression, Get Lit advances education, promotes literacy, and offers opportunities for under-resourced young people to create community, transform their lives, and raise up their authentic voices. Our programs span the classroom to career including training in high-demand fields leading to life-changing creative opportunities, internships, scholarships, and jobs. 

Using Get Lit's unique call-and-response model, students identify classic poems that resonate with their own stories, and write original responses, inspiring students to discover, develop, and amplify their voices while learning and exploring classic poetry from the past and present. At Get Lit, "a classic isn't a classic because it's old, a classic is a classic because it's great." 

Earlier this year, Get Lit officially launched Uni(verse), the world's first interactive poetry platform for the classroom, community, and beyond. Get Lit's Uni(verse) will enable students throughout the US and internationally, to take Get Lit's standards-aligned "Words Ignite" course online and to exchange ideas both within and outside of school. Uni(verse) will build and strengthen communication, collaboration, empathy, and community throughout the world through the vehicle of poetry.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Rachel Falikoff
LMN PR
rfalikoff@lmnpr.com

SOURCE Get Lit