Social Justice Leadership Award Presented to PPGJLI Founder, Dr. Artika Tyner

ST. PAUL, Minn. - May 28, 2022 - PRLog -- Dr. Artika Tyner, founder of Planting People Growing Justice Leadership Institute, has been honored with the Social Justice Leader Award, presented by the 3M Open and Greater Twin Cities United Way. The award recognizes a leader for their work in social justice resulting in significant community impact.

"I appreciate the support of our nonprofit, Planting People Growing Justice™ Leadership Institute, as we continue to plant seeds of social change," said Tyner. "Each day, we are inspiring the next generation of leaders."

Tyner founded PPGJLI in 2014 with the goal of promoting literacy and diversity in children's books. What began as a grassroots community organization has grown considerably since then and expanded its offerings. PPGJLI initiated its Leaders are Readers (https://www.ppgjli.org/) program, donating books to schools nationwide. Tyner and the organization have donated more than 10,000 diverse books and inspired more than 5,000 students. Once a month, the Justice and Friends Reading Circle meets online to hear authors read their children's books.

Youth learn about STEAM education through PPGJLI's workshops, school visits, and annual youth leadership summit. It also partnered with the Minnesota Twins professional baseball team to hold writing competitions for children. In addition, PPGJLI supports the literary arts and fosters arts-based community development. Individuals receive training from experienced BIPOC authors and become published authors.

PPGJLI provides education, training, and community outreach programs on leadership development based on a model Tyner developed after a decade of research. The organization teaches women leadership development skills in its Women Leading Change (https://www.ppgjli.org/) program. Children also learn that they're never too young to be a leader for social justice and bring about future change.