I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: There are places on this planet that break our hearts open to the beauty and possibility of life. Guatemala is one of those places. It’s no wonder I’m so incredibly excited to be heading back down there. That’s right, in just a few days I’ll be…
The international development community is very focused on girls these days. This is a good thing. Around the world, girls have been neglected and discriminated against, abused and worse for far too long. Where boys go to school, girls stay home. Men’s paychecks are larger than women’s; though the burden they bear in society is…
There is nothing novel about working in Guatemala. Scholarships are an effective and common strategy by which to improve educational achievement. Indigenous communities are, and should be, among the most targeted beneficiaries. This isn’t new. But in a country where scholarships are sprinkled like fertilizer on a coffee crop, Reading Village is doing something different….
The day began like any other. A cold morning with fog lifting over the lake. The sound of tin garage doors being rolled up to reveal store fronts. Women crouched over steaming tamales in the cold air. But today was different. From where we sat, today was bigger and better than any day that had…
It was a big year for Reading Village. With your support, we were busy expanding, teaching, mentoring, and documenting. Below is a smattering of photos from our most proud moments. Thank you for making these possible, thank you for helping transform lives through literacy.
In the world today, one billion adults cannot read. Those same adults may never be paid a living wage, and will struggle to support their families. Reading Village, 100 Book Day, and Boulder Book Store believe that reading starts with children. By reading stories together, kids’ imaginations run wild and they grow up with the…
On my recent trip to Guatemala our teen reading promoters made it clear to me that they understand the depth of the work they are doing. Over and over again I heard them talk about how it’s more than reading to kids, it’s about transforming their entire community. They see changes in themselves, the kids…
Check out this 5-minute spot on KGNU’s Dot Org program, featuring our founder Linda Smith painting a picture of the power of Reading Village’s model for community development. Comments The file didn’t work but I still look forward to seeing and listening to such inspiring work most especially if honorable Linda Smith is involved. I…
I was eager to connect with “Marco,” one of our dynamic reading promoters, on my recent trip to Guatemala. Last November his father – out of the blue – asked him when he would be getting married. Marco is 17. He explained to his father that his studies were his priority. He has two more…
TODAY ONLY! (until midnight Eastern Time) Donations to Reading Village are being matched 30% — today only — when made on our GlobalGiving site. Our goal is to raise $10,000 today to bring our Leaders and Readers program to a new village in Guatemala. These funds will pay for high school scholarships and leadership training for…