BOOK DRIVE!

Nicolas Christian School’s students live in isolated villages in Guatemala. Most of their parents are illiterate and speak a Mayan language. Since all Guatemalan education is in Spanish, children must learn it in school. Because rural, public elementary schools operate only half-day with few books or resources, when children enter 7th grade at NCS, their Spanish fluency and vocabularies are weak, and their reading comprehension is poor. In addition, schools are currently closed due to Covid 19, and no public libraries exist in the entire region.

In response, NFE created mini-libraries in two villages, plans a third by the end of 2020, and will open four to five more in 2021. You can help by donating one or more books from this page. The Sophos bookstore in Guatemala City will ship your book(s) to the Ixil highlands where NFE staff will work with village leaders to set up the library, train a volunteer librarian, and promote reading. Since 90% of vocabulary growth comes from reading, these books will help children increase their vocabularies and background knowledge, preparing them for success in school.