Beyond its activity within the UK, the UKLA has always been active internationally, too. The UKLA has been a Global Affiliate of the International Literacy Association for over 50 years, and it regularly sends delegates and presenters to their annual conference, which is held in the USA or Canada. The ILA offers a number of awards and grants, a number of which have been awarded to UKLA members in the past. 

UKLA is also a member of the Federation of European Literacy Associations, and its biennial meetings are a wonderful opportunity for an exchange of views with teachers and researchers from dozens of European nations, and beyond. The next FELA conference will take place in Ljubljana, Slovenia, from July 6^th to July 8^th, 2026. FELA also awards research grants, usually for projects that connect two or more European literacy associations.  

UKLA’s Project Connect supports a number of charities whose goal is to provide books for children in Africa, particularly where poverty or local geography make the provision of books almost impossible. The contribution that UKLA members make to Project Connect is invaluable. Project Connect changes lives- but it can only function with UKLA members’ support. 

UKLA welcomes the participation of colleagues from all over the world in its activities. Teachers and researchers from fourteen nations are on the editorial and review boards of its flagship journals, Literacy and the Journal of Research in Reading. Colleagues from over thirty countries worldwide attend its annual International Conference. UKLA is also proud to have a wonderful group of International Ambassadors, distinguished teachers and academics who not only attend the International Conference, but who also promote the association in their countries, and bring other colleagues to the conference to enrich its programme and establish new international collaborations.