Project Launch:

In parts of Costa Rica many libraries keep books hidden behind a big glass window, only to be accessed by the librarian. This policy illustrates the local culture of reading -- books are expensive and reading for pleasure is not common. This is true in the small community of El Rodeo where the majority of parents do not have a high school education and many did not finish primary school. Because of this, there are few adults teaching their kids about the joys of reading. With support from World Connect’s Kids to Kids Program, the community of El Rodeo created a reading space for the kids, supplied with books that draw on their interests and offering programs where they can share and receive new ideas and open up their world to the possibilities that await them in books. This project succeeded in showing kids that reading can be fun, comfortable and accessible. No more books behind glass windows for El Rodeo!