Literacy Movement 4 More (LM4M) was started by Seema Korumilli and her twin brother, Suraj, as an initiative when they were 13 years old after visiting their ancestral village in India. Their intention was to both honor their late grandfather and to build a bridge between the Indian and American parts of their identities by focusing on a value that is central to many immigrant families: education. LM4M was formally incorporated as a 501(c)3 organization in 2013 with the mission to educationally empower underserved and undervalued communities around the globe through the promotion of literacy and establishment of libraries.

Since supporting it’s first library in Kapileswarapuram, India, LM4M has established libraries in 6 countries spanning 3 continents, reaching young people in locations as far as South Africa, Greece, and the Caribbean. Along the way, the organization has donated a combined thousands of books, technology materials, and school supplies to their recipient institutions. Their partners include public and private institutions, children’s homes & orphanages, multinational NGOs, and grassroots community organizations.

Much of what underpins the work that LM4M does revolves around instilling a sense of cultural and communal pride within the young people that they serve. The goal is not just to get kids to read- LM4M aims to push them in a direction where they go forth, get a good education, and come back to serve the communities that supported them.

As alumni of Northeastern University, a large portion of Seema and Suraj’s US-based work with LM4M has been in Boston – a focal point of academia, young energy. To this end, LM4M has launched the Bob & Osla Case Scholarship Fund in an effort to financially support Boston Public School students and alumni focused on forming their own initiatives related to asset development. LM4M has also partnered with Bob Case Academy: Bridge to Calculus at Northeastern in a perfect marriage of literacy, mathematics, technology, and student empowerment.