This image was originally captured by Ayuda en Acción, available here under a Creative Commons license: http://bit.ly/2p0DHk1

Over the last few years, Worldreader has been looking into expanding our work to South America. The opportunity to help people read in this part of the world is great.

But we didn’t rush in. If there’s one thing we’ve learned from our work over the years, it’s that every country, every community, and every person has different needs when it comes to learning how to read. 

So we did our homework. In recent years we’ve been building up a library of high-quality Spanish books. We researched opportunities, learned about literacy in Peru, and gained a better understanding of the unique challenges that readers were facing in the country. 

Announcing the launch of CreceLee in Peru

We’re thrilled to announce that this month we’ll be launching a project in Peru to bring digital reading to an estimated 4,500 children via tablets and mobile phones. 

The project, called CreceLee, will reach over 10,000 households and up to 50 schools by the end of its third year. 

This image was originally captured by Ayuda en Acción, available here under a Creative Commons license: http://bit.ly/2oinW7t

CreceLee will take a holistic approach to improve learning outcomes among children

CreceLee will roll out both a school and home component. This means that during school hours, students will be reading from the Worldreader library via tablets. After school and on weekends when students are home, they can keep reading with their parents via mobile phones. 

Thanks to our BookSmart and BookSmart + solutions, these students will have access to the same content both in the classroom and at home, ensuring that their learning isn’t limited to the walls of the classroom. 

As part of the project, we’ll be acquiring 150 high-quality Spanish books for grades 1–3. The aim is to build a library of books that is aligned with the National Plan Lector as well as 21st century objectives.

The home component of the project is extremely important. We know that parental support goes a long way in making sure that a child develops the skills needed to achieve success in school and beyond.

That’s why, to make sure that parents understand the importance of reading to their children and play an active role in their growth, we’ll also be launching a behaviour change campaign.

This image was originally captured by Ayuda en Acción, available here under a Creative Commons license: http://bit.ly/2oexyjA

CreceLee is made possible thanks to the long-term support of Shel Kaphan and Ericka Lock

Eight years ago, our co-founder and CEO, David Risher, wrote a piece called The Fun of Fundraising, in which he says, “the secret to keeping fund-raising fun is knowing that each person helps shape and refine our thinking, challenging us to think even bigger or faster or just plain different.”

In the piece he mentions Shel and Ericka, saying “Shel and his partner, Ericka, asked great questions as they kicked Worldreader’s tires fairly well, which makes their endorsement even more gratifying. We look forward to working with them for many years, both on our Sub-Saharan Africa work and in the future in Latin America.” 

Sure enough, in part thanks to Shel and Ericka’s vision and guidance, today we’re expanding our work into South America. We’re so grateful for their immense support along the way. 

To learn more about our CreceLee project and how to get involved visit the project page here.