Muchas Gracias de Guatemala

Dear Reader to Reader,

Thank you for the donation of Spanish storybooks. We appreciate it greatly as do the kids! What a wonderful organization you have created and important work you do.

Muchas gracias,

Linda Smith
Founder and President
Reading Village, Guatemala

(Reader To Reader loves Reading Village (www.readingvillage.org), an outstanding non-profit organization based in Boulder, CO that promotes children’s literacy in Guatemala. Please check them out.)

Beyond el Campo Gets Generous Book Donations

Reader to Reader’s Costa Rica project, Beyond el Campo, has just received generous book donations from the book store Libreria Francesa and from the University of Costa Rica.

Beyond el Campo is building a community library in the rural Costa Rica town of Santa Cruz and will be holding literacy programs, including a children’s literacy camp this July.

Celebrating Their Trip

On their last day in New Mexico, Amherst College students Kat Libby and Alex Strecker were joined by Navajo Mentoring Program graduate Kyle Clark for a trip up Sandia Peak.

Kyle is heading to New Mexico State University in the fall.

The towering peak is accessed by the world’s longest aerial tram and reaches 10,378 feet, offering a spectacular 11,000 square-mile panoramic view of the Rio Grande Valley.

It also offered a chance to make snowballs in late May.

The next morning it was back to Massachusetts, tired but happy from a great trip.

We look forward to seeing all our friends on the Navajo Nation again next year.

A Chronicle of Success

A permanent display at Navajo Pine High School in Navajo New Mexico showcases all the ways that Reader to Reader has benefited their school. The board notes the thousands of books donated (now over 12,000), computer donations (30 Dell computers), the online Navajo Mentoring Program, the dictionary donations, the special collections (Native-American literature & Japanese manga), and the trip Navajo students took to Amherst, MA to learn about college and careers.

Navajo Pine's well-stocked library is a resource for students, teachers and even members of the community.

A Warm Send Off

The students and parents at St. Michael Indian School held a goodbye dinner for Reader To Reader staff on our last evening on the Navajo Nation.

After the dinner, students gave presentations on Navajo history, sang songs, and played native flute.

At the Window Rock

Reader To Reader took time out to visit the beautiful Window Rock in Window Rock, Arizona, the capital of the Navajo Nation.

Pictured are Amherst College students, Kat Libby and Alex Strecker. Who are spending their week assisting teachers at nearby St. Michael Indian School in St. Michaels, Arizona.

Not Just Books!

In addition to books and computers Reader To Reader also donates school supplies.

Pictured is Reader To Reader founder David Mazor and Navajo Pine High School shop teacher Robert Carrick standing next to thousands of dollars worth of shop equipment, including butane torches, propane torches and saw blades.

Reader To Reader was able to donate the supplies thanks to the generosity of Newell Rubbermaid, a global marketer of consumer and commercial products. The supplies came from the company’s Lenox division.

Teacher Robert Carrick at Navajo Pine High School in Navajo New Mexico does an incredible job of teaching welding, automotive repair and computer assisted drafting. He single-handedly gives his students a host of employable skills in an area with 90% unemployment. He is an extraordinarily devoted teacher who deserves accolades for all his hard work. He has personally donated thousands of dollars in equipment and supplies to the school for the benefit of his students.

A special thank you to Chuck Wahr, Vice President & General Manager, Worldwide Band Saw Business, at Lenox, for making this donation possible.

And a special thank you to Newell Rubbermaid for their incredible sense of corporate responsibility. This is a very fine company!