The focus of this year's Students Helping Students program is establishing new libraries and creating new local language books for children (Why libraries and books?). Although we welcome all Students Helping Students organizations regardless of how much you raise, we encourage you to think about raising enough money to sponsor a library or a new local language book.

Establishing New Libraries

We establish libraries by partnering with local in-country schools to create child friendly learning environments. We supply furniture, posters, and of course books - in both English and the local language. We also supply other educational materials and games, as well as library training, to ensure that the libraries are managed correctly. It costs US$4,000 to establish a library.

Room to Read will use part of the 2007-2008 Students Helping Students proceeds to establish dozens of libraries for children. Each library that we establish will bring the gift of learning to hundreds of kids; thus the program will help thousands and thousands of children!

Creating New Local Language Books

Our local language publishing program allows us to produce a series of new books for US$10,000. With this, we are able to hire local authors and illustrators to create new content in the local language, hire a publisher to print approximately 10,000 new books and transport them to rural schools and libraries. The exact quantity we print for each book varies due to the specific country, the demand for the book, its size, and the number of pages. The sponsorship cost also covers some of our indirect expenses associated with running this program.

For approximately US$1 per book, we are able to place brand new children's books into the hands of kids that would otherwise not have access to them. The excitement, energy, and curiosity these books bring to young children is amazing.

Room to Read will use some of the proceeds from our 2007-08 Students Helping Students program to publish as many as five new book titles, resulting in 50,000 new children's books.

Appreciation and Recognition

We welcome all Students Helping Students organizations to help us establish libraries and produce these wonderful children's books.

In appreciation of your generosity and hard work, we have created special ways to recognize the organizations that are active participants in our program.

• Schools/Clubs that raise $2,500 can sponsor ten years of girl's scholarships! The donation will provide tuition, uniforms, school supplies, transportation, tutoring, medical care and mentoring for young girls eager to attend school. Your school will receive a copy of the 2008 Girl's Scholarship Yearbook that describes the program in detail, highlights partnerships, and profiles some of the scholars.
• Schools/clubs that raise $4,000 will fund one of thousands of libraries we are creating to reach an additional 3 million children with books and library resources. You will receive quarterly reports on our Reading Room Program detailing the progress we are making across all of our geographies as we scale from 5,000 to 10,000 libraries.
• Schools/Clubs that raise US$10,000 can sponsor a new local language book! Your school or club name will appear in the book along with other donors who have helped sponsor the publication of this book. In addition, your school or club will receive copies of the book when it is printed!
• Schools/Clubs that raise US$12,000 can sponsor three libraries! You will receive a report for one of the libraries and your school name will be placed on a group dedication plaque that will be placed in the library!

To get involved in helping us establish libraries and create new books, or to explore other ways of getting involved, please email us at shs@roomtoread.org.