LpT remains committed to addressing educational inequality. Because we have had to indefinitely postpone regular programs for health and safety reasons, we plan to expand our pop-up library projects which can keep children safely reading at home. These small libraries (200 books each) will be kept in rural villages and LpT will train a community leader to be the librarian. Children can then check out books to read at home and therefore continue to develop their minds and open their hearts.
Children need books now more than ever. Due to the global pandemic, Mexican schools have been closed since March and remain closed this fall. These closures have serious repercussions for low income communities that do not have libraries, internet, computers, and other educational tools that higher income families can utilize. This pandemic is exacerbating the gap in education between upper and lower income demographics and this can have lasting effects on a society.
Because schools are closed and because the rural villages do not have libraries, book stores, and no internet in the homes, we feel the best way to continue educating children and developing their habits as readers, is to provide each community with a library. We want to construct 3 additional libraries (we already have 2) with approximately 200 books each. The libraries will be placed in rural villages and will rotate every three months.
Studies have found that the habits that adults have, are a reflection of the habits we had as we were children. In other words, if children develop the habit of reading, it is much more likely that they will become adults who have the habit of reading and readers are more likely to strive for higher educational goals. We must continue to instill the love of reading, particularly now when schools are closed and children are at risk of falling behind.
