Room to Read’s mission is to provide under-privileged children with an opportunity to gain the lifelong gift of education. It was founded on the belief that education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty and taking control of one’s own life.
Room to Read is a dynamic, results-oriented organization. Since our inception as a non-profit entity in 2000, they have impacted the lives of over 875,000 children by:
Room to Read’s projects fall into four different program areas:
Many rural primary schools in Cambodia, India, Nepal and Vietnam do not have libraries. In some cases, not a single book is available to spark a child’s interest in reading. Our reading Room Program addresses this need by establishing school libraries and filling them with books in local languages and English. These libraries create opportunities for children to develop a passion for reading and independent learning.
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Schools can be sparse in rural areas and it is common for children to walk several hours in order to attend school. Existing schools are often ramshackle collections of crumbling bricks, loose sheet metal and dirt floors. Room to Read understands that a child’s educational development requires an adequate learning environment. They partner with local communities to improve educational infrastructure through the construction of new schools and the repair and expansion of old ones.
Two of the largest unmet educational needs in the countries where Room to Read works are computer literacy and competency in foreign languages. Deficiencies in these areas work to prevent students from becoming part of, and competing in, the global community. Room to Read enhances educational facilities by establishing computer and language labs. The labs empower students and teachers with the tools to meet the demands of the modern educational environment.
The education of girls is oven overlooked in the countries in which Room to Read operates. This is usually due to shortages in economic resources and cultural biases. Room to Read addresses this disparity by awarding long-term scholarships to under-privileged girls. Scholarship recipients are supported through the completion of secondary school provided their academic performance remains satisfactory. This commitment to educating girls has already produced dramatic and positive results.
Partnering with communities
To increase the likelihood for success, Room to Read enlists community involvement. Their challenge grants require communities to contribute in a meaningful way to each of their projects so there is s sense of community ownership. For example, they require each village to raise a significant portion of the overall expenditure (through donated land, labor, materials and cash) for building a new school, thereby allowing our cash investments to go further so that they can help more villages.
Strong local staff
Their staff on the ground in Cambodia, India, Nepal, and Vietnam is made up of professional, experienced local citizens. They spend a great deal of time building relationships within their partner communities and insure that the projects undertaken are appropriate for local needs.
A dedicated network of volunteers
Room to Read has effectively appealed to the talented workforces in the US and overseas to contribute to something larger than themselves. This entails assembling a large team of volunteers who collectively manage every facet of their operations.
Efficient Organization
Since their inception, they have rapidly deployed the rollout of new educational infrastructure, while also keeping their overhead low. Over 90% of the donations made to Room to Read go directly to programs.
Room to Read has public charity 501(c)(3) status in the United States, so any contributions to the organization are tax-deductible. They rely on the annual support of many generous individuals, foundations and corporations.
For information, please visit their website at www.roomtoread.org