Birthing a Culture of Reading

This trip was incredibly successful! I made progress on all three focus areas of I Can Read: 1. I secured storage space for the books and other learning materials we will distribute through our Book Bank. And established relationships with half a dozen publishing houses in Guatemala. 2. I met with Petronila and Martha, our intrepid indigenous students-soon-to-be-teachers, to talk about supporting libraries in their home communities. 3. And I am very much in awe of what my advisory team and I (pictured below) were able to accomplish during our 2-day meeting to create a training center to prepare adults for employment as dynamic promoters of reading in their communities. I am so fortunate to have a team comprised of some of the country's leading experts on teaching reading/libraries/teaching teachers, and I am honored that they are committed to the vision of I Can Read and were willing to give up an entire weekend to further that vision. Amilcar and Alejandra decorated the meeting room as if for a baby shower, and it really did feel like something important had been birthed.