It's time to grow!

We're putting books into the hands of at-risk kids and resources into the hands of struggling teachers. Next year we want to open new libraries in three Peruvian national schools and equip dozens of teachers with reading comprehension instruction strategies. And we need your help to make it happen.

History

The Living Libraries program launched in 2009 in Arequipa, Peru, and evolved through several phases, including locations in community and municipal government facilities. Having fine-tuned the program's methodology and goals during these early phases, CUDA launched the pilot national school library in 2012 and attained the formal backing of the Peruvian Education Ministry's Arequipa Regional Management in 2013. The reception and success of the pilot national school library has inspired the formation of a five-year growth plan that includes quadrupling paid program staff and expanding into more than twenty new elementary schools—serving scores of teachers and thousands of students.

The Challenge

The needs that Living Libraries meet are clear and urgent. (1) Peruvian national schools do not have libraries. Poor students who do not have access to books at home do not even have access to books at school. It is impossible for students to practice reading with enjoyable, age-appropriate books. (2) Few Peruvians read habitually for pleasure, and reading comprehension is much lower than the country's technical literacy rate. In the 2009 Programme for International Student Assessment, Peru ranks 62nd of 65 in reading proficiency and 63rd of 65 in reading performance. (3) Peruvian national school teachers are often under-equipped to teach reading comprehension effectively and do not have professional development opportunities. CUDA would like to provide practical, effective, long-term solutions to these problems in schools throughout Arequipa, but we need your help.

Our Part

CUDA serves under-resourced Peruvian national elementary schools in Arequipa, Peru by:

(1) installing libraries of level-appropriate reading book sets in a comfortable, dynamic environment;
(2) equipping teachers with reading comprehension instruction strategies and library administration skills; and
(3) working with parents' associations to improve the home life of at-risk students.

The program's current staff consists of CUDA's Director of Education, Lucía Márquez (MS, Education), a Peruvian national with years of teaching and school administration experience, and Megan McKinzie (MA, Curriculum and Instruction), an American expert volunteer. The program utilizes the Pearson Developmental Reading Assessment to monitor student reading comprehension progress throughout the school year and evaluate the program's effectiveness.

Your Part

It costs $6000 to set up one library with a fun reading environment and a starter set of leveled books. Our current goal is to fund the first of three 2014 libraries. If 200 friends give $30, hundreds of kids will have a book and a great place to read it.

Give $30. Or give more. And tell your community!