GlobalGiving.org: Empowering Guatemalan Youth to Promote Literacy

The Trip of a Lifetime

Linda Smith — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:11:50 GMT

The next Reading Village Learning Journey to Guatemala is scheduled for March 11-17, 2012. This is going to be a trip packed with memorable experiences, including a visit to the colonial city of Antigua, a walk through ancient Mayan ruins, a boat ride across stunning Lake Atitlan to visit a local coffee cooperative, and shopping for beautiful handicrafts. Most importantly, we will learn and work side-by-side with our teen reading promoters and the kids in the villages, and spend time in the homes of local families!

Over the years, we have learned that these 10-person trips to Guatemala are about much more than service, cultural exchange, and sightseeing. Our participants consistently tell us that their experience in Guatemala reshaped their lens on life and illuminated new directions after they returned home. So, whether you are looking for an escape from the cold weather, a superb travel experience, or something more, we are confident that this next Learning Journey has something to offer.

Please join us and consider inviting a friend or family member to accompany you. Our participants range in age from teen (accompanied by parent) to 75+ years old. No Spanish necessary. We currently have five open spaces left on the trip so do not delay. Finally, this is likely to be the only Reading Village Learning Journey in 2012 unless we are able to squeeze one in during early December.

Click the following links for a short video and detailed information. Contact Larry Dressler, our beloved Learning Journey Sherpa, with any questions at 303-506-3127.

Dont't miss out! Make your reservation today while openings are still available,

Links:

Thank you! And the winner is...

Linda Smith — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:06:38 GMT

Thank you for helping us reach our goal on the 19th! Follow the link below to see if you are the lucky winner of an Amazon Kindle Fire.

Links:

Amazon Kindle Fire Winner

Today's the day to donate and win!

Linda Smith — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:08:10 GMT

Today only and

donations made on our GobalGiving site only

Donations will be matched 30% and

you could win a brand new Kindle Fire

(Amazon's cool new iPad competition - web, movies, apps, games, reading, color!)

We've just selected 10 new teen reading promoters for next year.

Help fund their scholarships and we all win:

1. Everyone who donates $100 to Reading Village on our GlobalGiving page today will be

entered into a drawing for a brand new Kindle Fire. Donations of $150 earn two entries,

donations of $200 earn three entries, etc.

2. All donations (up to $1,000) will be matched 30%. So a donation of $50 becomes $65!

Donations of every size are significant.

Time runs out at midnight Eastern Time.

Don't miss this final matching opportunity of the year.

Thank you for your support,

Save the Date: Oct 19, Donate and Win!

Linda Smith — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:49:06 GMT

Donate on our GlobalGiving site October 19

And you could win a brand new Kindle Fire.

(Amazon's cool new iPad competition - web, movies, apps, games, reading, color)

Plus, your donation will be matched 30%.

We've just selected 10 new teen reading promoters for next year.

Help fund their scholarships and we all win:

1. Everyone who donates $100 to Reading Village on our GlobalGiving page on Oct 19 will be

entered into a drawing for a brand new Kindle Fire. Donations of $150 earn two entries,

donations of $200 earn three entries, etc.

2. All donations (up to $1,000) will be matched 30%. So a donation of $50 becomes $65!

Donations of every size are significant.

Click here to see a short video of me speaking from the day care center in Concepcion.

I guarantee you'll smile when you see how excited these little ones get when I ask if they'd like

to hear a story.

This is the last matching opportunity of the year. Please mark your calendar, and thank

you for your continued support!

Links:

Good News from Rosmery

Linda Smith — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 13:05:39 GMT

Story hour with Rosmery

I just received some good news from the community of Concepción. Our reading aloud to children is having an important effect that will help them stay in school.

In rural Mayan communities, half of the children fail the first grade and about 75% drop out altogether before completing the sixth grade. (That's not the good news.)

One contributing factor is that these Kaqchikel-speaking children often enter the school system speaking little or no Spanish.

Our reading promoters read aloud to children in Spanish and translate into Kaqchikel to develop vocabulary and aid the children's comprehension.

Here's the good news: Rosmery, one of our third-year promoters, just shared with me that the children who attend her reading activities have told her they no longer need the translating. They understand the Spanish.

This is just what we wanted to see! Children grounded in their native language with literacy in Spanish.

Together we are transforming children's lives…and it costs very little.

A donation of $20 pays for a child to attend story hour three times a week for a year and provides storybooks to read on his or her own.

Give the gift of literacy to one or more children today,

Juan Carlos's Truth

Linda smith — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 00:22:20 GMT

Juan Carlos shares his truth

Juan Carlos is not the most articulate of our newest teen reading promoters. He lives in the shadow of his domineering father and his Spanish skills are a bit weak. But I love this kid because what he lacks in eloquence he makes up for with spirit and determination.

Last week as our Learning Journey group ended their time with the teens in a teary and heartfelt closing circle, Juan Carlos's words hit me hard. He bravely shared, "If it weren't for Reading Village, I would not be here. I would be in the field carrying heavy loads of vegetables." And that's the truth. His family would not be able to afford to send him to public school (which in Guatemala is not free), and he would be trapped in the cycle of poverty that many never escape.

Juan Carlos was not accepted into our program on his first try. But that did not stop him. And now, despite his difficulties expressing himself, he is nearly always the first to offer an opinion or answer a question during the teens' training sessions.

And each week he grows more and more accomplished at engaging small children in stories. Through our program Juan Carlos is not only discovering a new future for himself but making this possible for the children he reads to.

Keep teens like Juan Carlos in school with a donation today.

Thank you for your partnership in this important work,

Juan Carlos reading to children in his community

Links:

Donations Matched on June 15

Linda Smith — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 13:44:41 GMT

Sharing a good story

Don't forget! Wednesday the 15th is Bonus Day.

Donations made on that day only will be matched 30%

That means a donation of $50 (10 books) becomes $65 (13 books).

As always, your support is greatly appreciated.

Donations matched on June 15

Linda Smith — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 15:32:56 GMT

During my last visit to the community of Concepción I encountered a small boy walking toward me. It did my heart good to see a book in his hand. The fact that he was carrying it in a plastic bag told me that he wanted to take good care of this precious item.

He had checked out the book from our supply room cum library and was returning it. I asked him if he enjoyed the story, and his face lit up with a big smile. ¡Sí, mucho! I thanked him for taking such good care of the book and told him he could check out another one. At the thought of bringing home another book he became physically overcome with ants-in-his-pants excitement. From my perspective, it just doesn't get any better than that.

Your donations keep books in the hands of little boys and girls like this, and on Wednesday, June 15, your donation goes even further. GlobalGiving will match 30% of all donations made on our GlobalGiving page that day only. So, for example, a donation of $50 (10 books) becomes $65 (13 books).

Mark your calendar. Don't miss this opportunity to expand your impact!

Thank you for all you do to bring the power and joy of reading to children.

Local Leadership Takes Root

Linda Smith — Thu, 12 May 2011 13:40:08 GMT

Youth Leaders in Concepcion

I never expected that we'd see it this soon, just two and a half years after beginning in Concepcion, but there it was right in front of me -- the birth of a new generation of leaders in this community.

Sunday, after Daniel and I had wrapped up the training session with our fifteen teen reading promoters, Marcela (one of the teens) told Daniel the group had something to tell us. I have to say I felt a bit nervous as the mood was serious and they all seemed to know what this was about.

Marcela then announced that they all met the day before and formed their own action committee with a president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer. They've created such a love of and demand for books in the children they read to they now see the need for a library. And by their own initiative they formed this committee in order to begin to make that happen -- with our blessing and promise of support.

I was so choked up I could barely respond. THIS is what the work is about for me -- the development of local leaders that will create a new future for their own community.

Please continue your generous support with a donation today. You are making a difference!

Donations Matched on March 16

Linda Smith — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 23:15:10 GMT

Youth rise to the expectations that we hold for them. Here at Reading Village we see it every day in our teen reading promoters. And it's one of the greatest satisfactions of my work to see them become more than they ever thought they could be. So it makes me sad when I hear of adults grossly underestimating the potential of young people.

Daniel Guzmán our In Country Director just came back from a conference in Guatemala City that was filled with teachers interested in techniques to better teach reading and writing. As he explained to those he met about the work he does, he realized that they don't believe in teens the way we do. They could not imagine that high school students would be responsible or capable enough to be successful at promoting literacy in the ways they do in our program. So I am very appreciative of your belief in and support of our teens. Your donations are an investment in their futures. And on March 16, any donation you make on our GlobalGiving web page will be matched 30%. Mark your calendar!

And consider joining our upcoming Learning Journey in Guatemala to really get to know our teens, their work and to spread the love of reading right alongside them. Nothing fills these kids with pride more than knowing someone traveled thousands of miles to see what they do. Just a few spaces remain for the June 23-July 1 trip. For more information visit the link below.

Thank you for all you do to bring the power and joy of literacy to children.

Links:

Learning Journey

Julio César Finds His Voice

Linda Smith — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 21:02:15 GMT

I remember vividly just two years ago our first meeting ever with the first teen reading promoters in Concepcion. Julio Cesar's beet-red face belied his embarrassment at having to crow like a rooster whenever it came up in a story being read aloud. It was so challenging for him I wondered to myself if he'd ever be capable of reading a story in front of a group of children.

In contrast with last Sunday...With no advance notice, I asked the group of teens to take twenty minutes to organize themselves into a schedule of reading activities they would lead in the next two weeks. I watched with delight as Julio took the lead and got the job done. He did this with such self-confidence, grace and effortlessness it brought tears to my eyes. (Enjoy photos from Sunday's activities here.)

There was actually a moment in the meeting when I had to invite Julio and the other teens with experience to hold back a bit and allow some space for others to participate. These, the kids for whom it felt like pulling teeth to get them to say anything just two years ago.

They are coming into their own, it is a beautiful thing to witness, and I am honored and delighted to be a part of it. And now hundreds of children are discovering the joy of reading as a result. Thank you for all you do to help make this possible.

Twice a year we invite a small group of people to join us on a Learning Journey in Guatemala to really get to know our teens, their work and to spread the love of reading right alongside them. The dates for the next trip are June 23-July 1 and spaces are going fast. For more information visit www.readingvillage.org/learningjourney.

I hope you'll join us,

Linda

Teresa is Grateful

Linda Smith — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 00:36:13 GMT

Teresa Morales Chumil

I'm in Guatemala interviewing teens for our reading promoter program. It's one of my favorite things to do because these youth inspire me so much. Take Teresa Morales Chumil, for example. She is 15, the oldest of four, and her family owns no land so they work as day laborers on someone else's land. Teresa's family of six ekes out a living on $120 a month; that's less than a dollar a day per person.

Her parents never attended school and cannot read or write. When I ask Teresa what her parents tell her about the importance of education she says her father tells her, "You have to fight to study." This phrase stops cold in my heart. It's true. Teresa and other impoverished youth here fight: struggle, sacrifice, toil and scrape enough together to pay for public school registration, monthly fees, transportation, uniforms, books, supplies and the like. What should be a right for every child is a fight for many. And in these communities where only 25% of children make it to the sixth grade, it's a fight that most kids lose.

Despite all the barriers in front of Teresa she has made it to middle school and has set her sites on college! This Thanksgiving I am grateful that Reading Village can offer her the opportunity to stay in school. And I am thankful for your generosity toward Reading Village that makes it possible.

If you have not made a donation yet this year, please know that gifts of all sizes have an immediate impact on our teens' lives and the children they read to.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Linda

A Defining Moment

Linda Smith — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 17:34:52 GMT

For you and me, who love to read, it's hard to imagine an entire country where reading is not much valued and not regularly enjoyed. But this is the case in Guatemala. A colleague once heard it reported that of the Guatemalans who can read only 1% had read anything for pleasure that year. So imagine my delight at what happened the other day...
On October 1st Guatemala celebrated Día del Niño (Children's Day), and Daniel Guzmán our In-Country Coordinator and some of our teen reading promoters made their way to Concepcion's central plaza with the rest of the community to celebrate. And they each brought a book along...just in case.

After the singing of the national anthem, endless speeches and what not, the daycare teacher

unexpectedly invited Daniel to say some words. He seized the opportunity, the microphone and

Julio César (one of our teens) to translate into Kaqchikel. The whole community got to hear about

what it is we do from one of their own youth, and Julio had the presence of mind to introduce the

other teens and organize the children into two groups. Antonio and Luis (first-year reading promoters,

prepared with their books and activities) volunteered to lead the kids in story time in front of the

whole community. (See link to photos below.)

In this spontaneous moment a spark was lit. Parents who can't read, who can't afford to have books in

their homes, and who have never read a story to their own children, saw for the first time ever the joy

that reading brings their children and felt the satisfaction that comes with imagining a brighter future

for them. I have a feeling this is one of those defining moments we'll look back on one day when

Concepcion is a thriving, reading village.

If you've not yet made a donation this year, now is an opportune time to do so! On Tuesday,

October 12, GlobalGiving will begin matching donations made to Reading Village made only from

their website. (See link below.) Donations in the range of $10-$499 will be matched 30%, $500-$999 at 40% and

$1,000-$2,500 at 50%. There are limited matching funds available so the sooner after 12:01 am

Eastern on the 12th you make your donation the better. The matching opportunity runs through

October 21st, as long as funds last.

Thank you for all you do to bring the power of literacy to children,

Linda

Linda Smith

Founder and Director

Reading Village

Links:

More of a Good Thing

Linda Smith — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:11:04 GMT

Last month we convened a group of amazing people with decades of experience in Guatemala, education, leadership development and literacy to help us take the good curriculum we developed for training our teen reading promoters and make it excellent.

This curriculum will be part of a training manual (funded by a grant from the Tecovas Family Foundation) that will enable us to hire more community coordinators and expand to more and more communities. Our vision is to have 480 reading promoters in over 30 communities reaching 480,000 children by 2020.

And expansion is already underway! Daniel Guzmán, our Program Coordinator, is currently in the community of Pujujil (Poo-hoo-HEEL) holding a meeting with community leaders and interested teens as he recruits a new crop of reading promoters. See here (http://www.readingvillage.org/2010/08/index.html) for a two-minute video of Daniel as he eloquently describes his heart-felt vision of our work with the children in his country.

There are several ways you can help us bring the power of literacy to more children. We need donations to buy books and materials for Pujujil, for scholarships for the new reading promoters and for their training.

In addition to donating you can help in the following ways:

1. Participate in 100 Book Day on November 27th (http://www.readingvillage.org/100-book-day.html).

2. Join and/or promote our Learning Journey to Guatemala, Nov 20-28 (http://www.readingvillage.org/learningjourney.html)

3. Bring Light Up Literacy to your synagogue for Hanukkah this year (http://www.readingvillage.org/light-up-literacy.html).

4. Bring Literacy for Lent to your church next year (http://www.readingvillage.org/literacy-for-lent.html)

Thank you for all you do to bring the power of literacy to children,

Links:

Learn more here.

Transforming Lives

Linda Smith — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 03:03:13 GMT

I'm in Guatemala with our Learning Journey group. They just spent three full days in Concepción getting to know this indigenous Maya community, their culture, traditions and history as well as our reading promoters, their families and homes -- connecting at a very personal and heartfelt level. Promoters and visitors alike were sad to see it end. (See link below for photos.)

I had the opportunity this morning to chat with Julio César, one of our second-year reading promoters. He shared with me that he had been planning on studying music until he began reading to the children in Concepción through our Leaders and Readers program. The joy and satisfaction this work gives him convinced him that he should become a teacher, and he changed his course of study.

Yesterday Julio's best friend Carlos, a first-year promoter, told him he was confused about what he wanted to study. He'd always thought he'd become a mechanic, but comments from various of the visitors on theLearning Journey made him think he should consider being a teacher. (I have to say, Carlos is amazingly talented at bringing stories to life for the children!)

Then Julio said, "You know the phrase on the Reading Village logo, Transforming Lives through Literacy? It really is true. My life has changed because of Reading Village and now Carlos's life is being impacted as well."

All of our teens have grown tremendously in ability, self-confidence and self- awareness. Watch Maribel's face light up with pride in a two-minute video (link below) as she talks about the success she is enjoying as a reading promoter.

Thank you for all you do to bring the joy of reading to children, Linda

Links:

June 16 Donations Matched 50%

Linda Smith — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 21:47:23 GMT

Donations to Reading Village do triple duty. We empower Guatemalan teens to promote children's literacy, and each dollar donated helps keep these teens in school, helps them develop leadership skills, and engenders the love of reading in children.

On June 16 your donation goes half again as far! On June 16 Global Giving will match 50% of your donation.

Here's the link to donate: http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/empowering-guatemalan-youth-to-promote-literacy/ Please share this link and invitation to donate with your friends.

The deadline is midnight Eastern Time June 16. That's a 9:00 pm deadline for the Pacific Time Zone.

Thank you for all you do to bring the love of reading to Guatemalan children.

Links:

Maribel finds satisfaction in being a teen reading promoter

An Inspiring Guatemalan Father

Linda Smith — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 12:58:57 GMT

Don Martín and his family

Fifteen years ago, in the agricultural town of Concepción, Don Martín's eldest son Rufino asked permission to enroll in high school. Having only an elementary school education himself, Don Martín considered students to be lazy good-for-nothings who were only looking to escape hard physical labor in the fields. And no one in Concepción at that time even had a high school diploma. But he begrudgingly allowed Rufino to continue his studies on the condition that he keep up his obligations at home.

So every day Rufino got up before the sun to work the land with his father until noon, grabbed a couple of tortillas for lunch and then walked an hour to school. After school he walked an hour home, did his chores, ate a bit of supper and at ten o'clock finally had some time for his homework. He did this day in and day out, and his friends thought him crazy. But it paid off for him as he is now a professional manager working for an international microcredit organization, and here's the really good part...

Don Martín -- the one who thought students were lazy good-for-nothings -- now willingly sends his daughter, yes his daughter, to high school. Her name is Marcela and she's also one of our star reading promoters.

Because of Don Martín's ability to change, Marcela has the opportunity to fulfill her potential. She is growing into a capable community leader, and she is bringing books and a love of reading to the children in her community, giving them the opportunity to fulfill their potential. One day she will do the same for her children.

I've always believed it takes just one person to make a difference. Don Martín has proved it's true.

Join Don Martín in making a difference. Honor a dad for Father's Day with a gift to Reading Village.

If you make your donation on Wednesday, June 16, GlobalGiving will match it 50%.

Marcela puts bunny ears on a child for story hour

Reading Aloud to Children

Linda Smith — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:09:51 GMT

Teen reads to children in her community

In 1985 a US Department of Education Commission on Reading shared the results of 10,000 research projects done over 25 years to get at the core of what really works in terms of turning kids into skilled readers. Among its primary findings was this: "The single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children." Notice they didn't single out Baby Einstein or flash cards, phonics, homework or worksheets. They discovered that reading aloud to children, both at home and at school -- even after they can read for themselves -- was the greatest predictor of success. I am encouraged by this finding because reading aloud to children is the core of our work in Guatemala. Kids love to be read to, and the more they associate reading with fun, the more they read. The more they read, the better they get at it. The better they get at it the more they like it...This is our engine for developing a culture of reading in Guatemala. So please (1) read to the children in your life and (2) continue supporting us as we encourage the same in impoverished communities where books are scarce and illiteracy is rampant. Thank you for all you do to bring the joy of reading to children!

Links:

Our Leaders and Readers Program

Teens With Dreams Off to a Great Start in 2010

Linda Smith — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:04:28 GMT

Reading Village has nearly double the number of teen reading promoters this year as we had last year.

Visit our website for a brief photo update: http://www.readingvillage.org/2010/01/11-teen-reading-promoters-off-to-a-great-start.html

Thank you for all you do to make their dreams come true, Linda

Happy New Year from Reading Village!

Linda Smith — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 17:14:36 GMT

Our teen reading promoters have come a long way in just one year, and we have selected eight new teens to join them next month as school in Guatemala gets underway for the 2010 school year.

You can see their faces and a brief bit on each of them here: http://www.readingvillage.org/2009/12/index.html

Thank you for your support!

Inspiring Reading Village Update

Linda Smith — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:06:59 GMT

Enjoy this inspiring 3-minute video about the exciting local leadership and initiative that is developing in the community where we are working to promote children's literacy in rural Guatemala.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXcrqLoQdCc

Reading Village Doubling Teen Reading Promoters

Linda Smith — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:56:54 GMT

I'm headed down to Guatemala at the end of this month to begin recruiting next year's teen reading promoters. We will be doubling the number from six to twelve!

Thanks for your support and please send your friends to our project page: http://www.globalgiving.com/projects/empowering-guatemalan-youth-to-promote-literacy/

We need $6000 to cover the scholarships that will keep these teen leaders in school and leading reading activities for the younger children in their community.

Thank you for your partnership, Linda