LatinaLista —
Campaign: Books for the Students of Cuzco
A book can change a child. A library of books can change a whole community. Folks at the NEA Foundation, a public charity, want to fill the bookshelves of village schools in the Cuzco region of Peru’s Sacred Valley of the Incas.
The NEA Foundation’s mission is to ensure that educators are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to help students succeed in a global society. The year-long Global Learning Fellowship is part of that mission. It provides outstanding educators the opportunity to experience the world beyond their home communities so that they are better equipped to help their students grow into the leaders who will guide us all in the future.
Why Books Are Needed!
In the summer of 2015, the NEA’s Global Learning Fellows visited the Peruvian village of Pumamarca, Peru in the Sacred Valley of the Incas 60 km northwest of the city of Cuzco. Before visiting the village, they learned the school library lacked an important ingredient: Full Shelves of Books.
A library with few books is an unfinished promise. The NEA Foundation’s Global Learning Fellows took action, bringing more than 150 books in boxes, carry-ons, and suitcases. They carried them up to Pumamarca, 9,100 feet above sea level. It was a breathtaking labor of love. Literally.
This year, the 2016 Fellows want to fill the shelves of Pumamarca’s library and expand the gift to neighboring schools and villages.
Getting these books up to the Sacred Valley of the Incas will require some heavy lifting. They are prepared for that. But they need some help from supporters of the NEA Foundation and public education everywhere. They aim to raise $4,500 for the purchase and transport of the books from Washington, DC to Pumamarca and surrounding villages and schools.
Global Learning Fellows: Enrichment & Hope
Enriching Educators
Since it began in 2011, the Global Learning Fellowship program has brought more than 150 educators from across the United States to study, experience, and engage the citizens of far-away lands and diverse cultures.
Enriching American Public School Students
The program provides educators a vital opportunity to explore and enrich themselves personally and professionally so that they may return home to share that excitement with their students. For many, this annual study abroad trip is their first visit outside the United States. It can be a life-changing experience for both visiting educators, their students back home, and the people of the regions they visit.
A Gift of Books is a Gift of Hope
The more support the NEA Foundation raises, the more books they can bring with them to village schools they visit in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. This is not only a benefit to the students in this remote region by expanding access to literacy, but also a benefit to the future of their families and communities. And, for the NEA Foundation, it is an expression of their gratitude for all they bring to the organization, the educators, and the students served back home.
Risks, Challenges & Determination
A book can change a child. A library filled with books can change an entire community. If the campaign does not meet its goal, the Global Learning Fellows will still bring books to Cuzco — just fewer of them. If they raise more than their goal, they will be able to support additional schools and students.
How You Can Help
Make a small financial contribution. Share this campaign with your social network. Post campaign updates to your Facebook page.
Anything you can do to support this effort financially or through sharing will be greatly appreciated by the NEA Foundation, the Global Learning Fellows, and friends of public education everywhere.
