You may recall LEAP Grant winner Biblioteca Comunitara Dr. William House and their literacy project “Traveling Story Time,” which visits local schools without functional libraries, lending reading materials and performing readings to the students.

They’ve just sent in a fresh batch of photos to show you how it’s going!

Coordinator Vanessa Harb speaks about the importance of reading aloud to children to a local tv news reporter in front of our children’s section of the library.

This little girl is allowed to touch and play with a book by herself for the first time. Board books (and any books at all) are non-existent in this pre-school.

Reading aloud to the kids is modeled, then teachers and assistants work with Story Time volunteers to read aloud, then they are encouraged to take a group on their own. Above, a pre-school assistant reads “Are You My Mother?” to a small, break-out group.

More wee ones excited about books. Each child is encouraged to ask adults or older family members to read to them. When we read in classrooms, we bring several copies of the same books and then guide teachers in “read-alouds” for smaller groups.

Students of the Dominican government-sponsored pre-school, CONANI, enjoy reading their mini books made possible by LEAP Grants for Libraries. Local volunteers cut and bound the books which give kids a sense of book ownership, often for the first time in their lives.

Some examples of the reproducible mini books that are gifted to each Traveling Story Time participant.

A huge thanks to Biblioteca Comunitaria Dr. William House for sending these in, and thanks to all our customers for making LEAP Grants possible. We look forward to more updates as Traveling Story Time continues to make a huge impact in the Dominican Republic!