75 million children are out of school globally — a figure equivalent to the entire primary school-aged population in Europe and North America.

More than half of the out-of-school children are girls. Around the world, girls are much more likely than boys to never be enrolled in school, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (72% of out-of-school girls have never been enrolled, compared to 55% for boys).

That’s why ONE is teaming with the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) to support The Big Read: a new storybook encouraging literacy and education for everyone. Contributions to the book come from influential figures including Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan as well as Nelson Mandela, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Alice Walker, Natalie Portman, Paulo Coelho and others.

Because of the important work ONE members do in advocating for global education, a ONE member will have her or his story published in The Big Read book. Click here to learn more and submit your story.

Education is a sound investment in people, global economies, and security. Education can offer a pathway for moving out of poverty, to finding a good job, and to becoming an active and valuable contributor to the social and economic health of our communities.

Education is particularly critical for girls. Educating girls for five years could boost child survival rates by up to 40%. Educated mothers are 50% more likely to immunize their children than are uneducated mothers. Providing an extra one year of education beyond the average boosts earnings by 10-20% for females, compared to 5-15% for males. And increasing the share of women with a secondary education by one percentage point boosts annual per capita income by 0.3%.

On Tuesday, April 21 in DC, GCE kicked off its Global Action Week with a policy roundtable discussion featuring Queen Rania, Rep. Nita Lowey (NY), Gayle Smith and Gene Sperling. They discussed progress towards expanding educational opportunities, as well as President Obama’s promise of a new U.S. investment and leadership on a potential Global Fund for Education. We also heard from young activists Devli Kumari and Jessica Markowitz, students each working to increase educational opportunities for children around the world.

A ONE member will join these diverse voices in The Big Read book, which will be presented to President Obama on June 16 – the Day of the African Child, during the run-up to the 2009 G8 meetings. We will be asking Obama to keep his promise to ensure children in developing countries have access to basic education through a U.S. contribution of $2 billion to a Global Fund for Education.

You don’t have to be a prominent figure to make it into The Big Read. ONE members here in the U.S. are everyday heroes — maybe through signing a petition, meeting with a member of Congress, or just talking to your neighbors — helping to bring basic education to others. Simply tell us, through your story, what education has meant to you, and why you feel it is important for every child to have access to education.

Read examples from the book and send us your story here. The deadline for submissions is May 1, 2009, and we’ll announce the winner on May 8.

-Emily Stivers