Room to Read Blog

Show and Tell: New York Gala Draws Influential Crowd

This post is part of the ongoing series, Show and Tell, where we bring you photos and stories collected by Room to Read team members on the road. 

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Last week, Room to Read's New York Chapter celebrated in style at the Midtown Loft in Manhattan. Their Spring Gala, designed to raise funds and awareness for our work around the globe, was a resounding success and even drew a few familiar faces, including author and journalist Katie Couric and CNN correspondent Poppy Harlow. The evening included a lively auction and an appearance by Room to Read Founder and Board Co-Chair John Wood.

Here are some photos, courtesy of our New York Chapter Leaders and photographer Jane Bruce:

Learn more about our Chapter Network, and get involved with Room to Read where you live.

Taking Literacy to New Heights

We’re always amazed by the creative (and yes, sometimes extreme) fundraising campaigns that Room to Read supporters come up with. Take, for example, our friend Rob Hart…

Rob has been climbing some of the world’s tallest peaks at the rate of one per year since 2003. The South African native (now based in Singapore) says he understands that, “the attraction of frozen digits, howling winds, and inedible food eludes many,” but none of those things were going to stop him from summiting the world’s tallest peak, Mount Everest, this year. And what’s more, he decided to turn his personal quest into a fundraiser for Room to Read, and carried a flag with our logo on it all the way to the top. 

Hart says he chose Room to Read as the beneficiary of his efforts based on our record of efficiency—having grown up in Africa, he says, “I’ve seen the amount of money wasted by NGO’s on Land Rovers and the like across the continent, it was heartening to find a charity that doesn’t waste money.” He chose to designate the funds raised to projects in Nepal, where he would be climbing, and South Africa, the country of his birth.

Hart reached the summit of Everest on March 14, and hot on his heels is another group of Room to Read supporters—13 work colleagues from Penguin Group in the UK. For some, the Everest Base Camp Trek will be their first major climbing adventure, like Helen Atkinson, who describes herself as “a fair-weather walker that’s never been at any kind of altitude.” She and the rest of her group will commence their journey on October 22, and will finish with a visit to Room to Read's projects in Nepal. We wish them the best of luck!

Feeling inspired? You don't have to be a mountain-climber to start your very own fundraising campaign for Room to Read.

Photo credit: Rob Hart atop Mount Everest (courtesy of subject).

One School Takes Global Literacy Local and Makes Year-long Commitment

Room to Read’s Students Helping Students program started when students began raising awareness and funds on behalf of the organization following the 2005 Asian tsunami. Since then, schools and communities around the world have worked tirelessly to support Room to Read in big and small ways—from bake sales and read-a-thons to large-scale events, student groups have taken action on behalf of literacy and gender equality in education. 

 

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As with many of our best relationships, our partnership with the John Eliot School, an elementary school in Needham, Massachusetts, came to us by way of a dedicated Room to Read chapter. In this case, Boston chapter leader Wendy McAllister had been working with the Eliot school and forging a friendship with its principal, Ms. Suzanne Wilcox, when a partnership was born. Ms. Wilcox saw the connection between Room to Read’s work and her own school’s challenges almost immediately.

Despite being a high-performing school, the Eliot School’s literacy test scores had reached a plateau. Once she learned more about Room to Read’s work, Ms. Wilcox realized that taking the global literacy movement local might be just the way to improve performace at Eliot. “It occurred to me that becoming involved with this organization just might be the ticket to engaging students in more recreational reading, resulting in improved rates of literacy for the students at Eliot,” said Ms. Wilcox. “Developing an interactive program with Room to Read would naturally align with our school and district goals, 'to advance standards-based learning, develop the social and emotional skills of all students, and promote active citizenship'.”

Ms. Wilcox knew that the success of embedding Room to Read’s work within the school’s curriculum wouldn’t ultimately hinge on her, but on the talented and dedicated faculty at the Eliot School so she presented the idea to her colleagues. "In a matter of minutes, the room erupted with enthusiasm,” she said. Brainstorming ensued. At the end of their meeting, the teachers agreed to collaboratively create a curriculum spanning classrooms and content areas. Ms. Wilcox applied for and received a grant from the Needham Education Foundation to sponsor staff development days for teachers to come together to plan out the year ahead. Their sessions resulted in three components that led to the school’s success: summer reading (adult and student), classroom buddies, and the Eliot School Cultural Diversity Day celebration.  

Planning for success from the beginning, Ms. Wilcox and her team put on a skit just before the start of summer vacation. She and a teacher posed as a student and teacher and explained to the children the importance of a summer read-a-thon.  To the students, "it seemed unthinkable that so many of the world's children, partuclarly girls, had no access to books or education."  Shortly after, the school’s motto for the summer was formed: “Give the gift of literacy while receiving it yourself!” The students left for the summer, reading logs in tow, revved up to read more than ever before. In addition, parents and teachers were given copies of John Wood's Leaving Microsoft to Change the World, to further unite the community in this effort. “Research shows that when children see their parents reading, it encourages them to read as well,” Ms. Wilcox added. At the end of the read-a-thon the students and teachers were thrilled to discover they had raised $5,000 and that over 85% of the students had participated!

Once the summer read-a-thon ended, the "reading mileage" challenge began. Ms. Wilcox and her team decided to have their buddy pairs (one upper-grade student and one lower-grade student) calculate the mileage needed to travel to their Room to Read country of choice and back to Needham. Those miles then converted into pages and with their itineraries set, the pairs took off on their read-around-the-world challenge.  As a result, every buddy pair read their way to their country and back, and some made the trip more than once! 

The school’s year-long focus on Room to Read and its program countries culminated in the Eliot School Cultural Diversity Day celebration, where classrooms presented their projects on Room to Read countries. Throughout the project, parents had many opportunities to engage in the overall reading goals of the school, including several opportunities to participate in book discussions. From classroom buddies to logging their miles, the students, staff, and families of the John Eliot School truly demonstrated that literacy is a priority, both at home and abroad. 

As Ms. Wilcox examined her test data last fall, it was clear the campus-wide campaign had worked; students' scores showed marked progress in both English language arts and mathematics, particularly among special education students. “The notion that Room to Read could serve as a catalyst to help students explore and understand world issues, offer students an opportunity to take action and increase the volume of student reading with the outcome of an improvement in overall literacy rates was simply something we could not pass up,” she said. 

The Eliot School is kicking off its second annual summer read-a-thon this summer and is looking ahead to a school year full of service learning tied to Room to Read’s mission. Learn more about our Students Helping Students program or email Jill Carlson at jill.carlson@roomtoread.org.

Photo caption: Director of the Cambodia office of Room to Read Kann Kall poses with members of Allison Dick's 3rd grade class. From Left: Lila North, Jenna Sandler, Kurt Brinkhaus and Brian Poolman. Photo credit: Credit Robert Rosen

 

Room to Read Volunteers Write a New Chapter In Fundraising for Education

Last week, more than 50 Room to Read chapter volunteers from around the globe gathered with Room to Read staff at our annual Chapter Leadership Conference. The conference brought together chapter leaders from as far away as Australia, Japan and Zurich and as close as San Francisco. In all, nine different countries were represented and 20 U.S. cities!

 

Room to Read is very proud of our chapter network comprised of long-term volunteers who have made a commitment to promote Room to Read within their networks and communities. Each year, many chapter leaders attend the Chapter Leadership Conference to receive valuable training and updates about the work Room to Read is doing. Plus, there are plenty of fun times created when you fill a room with passionate people who share the same mission! The enthusiasm of this incredible group of volunteers is contagious, evidenced by the fact that chapters last year raised over US$12 million, which is roughly one-third of Room to Read's operating budget.

 

Mihiri Udabage has been volunteering with Room to Read's Sydney Chapter since 2008 and was very involved in the planning and coordination of the chapter's wine gala held on March 4, 2011. In this guest blog, she reveals her motivation for her dedication to Room to Read.

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As I head to the door to go to volunteer at the Room to Read Wine Gala in Sydney, I am met with protests from my children, aged 8 and 6: “Don’t go, Mummy—stay home!” “I have to go,” I counter. “We have to make sure lots of children get to go to school, just like you do, right?” 

Absolutely right. With the world holding more than 796 million illiterate people in the world and 98% of them living in developing countries, there is much work to be done. 

Tonight’s event is about inviting investors to become a part of the global movement to see illiteracy banished. As John Wood, Room to Read Founder, delivers his presentation on behalf of the millions of children this organization has yet to serve, he’s firing on optimism. Optimism fueled by seeing girls like Merina, 15, from Nepal, saved from a life as an indentured servant and returned to a childhood she was taken from, and of the plan that will see hundreds more girls like her returned to school where they belong. Optimism incited by 11-year-old Inkham from Laos, whose scholarship from Room to Read allows her to read to her parents, both mute, and also to her brothers and adored baby sister. Optimism for the five million children Room to Read has served to date, and the five million more who are hoping that Room to Read comes to their community. 

Later in the night, after the auction hammer slams repeatedly, the total amount raised is announced. More than US$892,000 has been donated this one night in Sydney, thousands of kilometers from where it will eventually land. It will provide schools, libraries, girls’ education, books, bikes, bags and uniforms. It will fund the NGO workers who will partner with Room to Read to ensure that girls are attending school and maintaining their studies so they will pass to the next grade.

I picture one of the girls who will benefit from the 400 years of girls’ education funded this night. How one morning soon, she will braid her hair, exchange her worn house dress for a crisp uniform, hop on the new bike parked outside her home and pedal to a place where she is no longer defined as the poorest girl, living in a small hut, but where she is a student, a scholar, tomorrow’s teacher/engineer/author/artist.

I see her raising her hand in class to have her voice heard. 
I see her writing a poem about the mother she adores.
I see her pointing to the places on the atlas that she will travel to one day.  
I see her stopping by the library on her way home—maybe one of the 30 new libraries donated tonight by friends in Sydney she has never met. 
I see her step inside this cool haven and pass her hands across the hundreds of books that will line the shelves, mesmerized by the bright covers and overwhelmed for choice.  
I see her mother welcome her home, proud of this girl who does what her mother can’t.

As the guests leave, they are flushed with excitement, happy to have been a part of something wonderful. They are no longer on the outside looking in, they are on the inside looking out and will go home and tell their friends about the incredible work that Room to Read is doing. Many will call in the coming weeks wanting to know more, do more. We will be so happy to take their call. They thank us. We cannot thank them enough. They walked in as guests; they leave as heroes.

Our team is tired but happy. They have worked hours upon voluntary hours, months upon months, to make this night a success. As I return home after midnight, and lean over my sleeping son to kiss his cheek, he half wakes to ask “Mummy, did the children go to school tonight?”  I smile and whisper to him, “Yes baby, lots and lots and lots of children got to go to school tonight.”

To learn more about Room to Read’s growing network of volunteer chapters and upcoming events, visit our website.

 

 

Trek to India: Chapter Leader Trip Brings Renewed Commitment to Education

Room to Read boasts a network of over 40 volunteer chapters, groups of individuals who raise funds for and awareness of Room to Read around the globe. In 2010, the chapters raised approximately 30% of Room to Read’s total operating budget. Last December, several chapter leaders joined in the inaugural Chapter Leader Trek to Rajasthan, India. Sherrie Nguyen, co-leader for the Austin Chapter in Texas, shares her impressions and experiences of meeting some of the girls participating in Room to Read’s Girls’ Education program in India.

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We marched onto the school grounds to the beat of a drum and trumpet. There we were adorned with garlands of flowers, newspaper hats made by the students and marks on our foreheads. The entire village had come to watch, as if we were stars on the red carpet.

It wasn’t until we stepped into the classroom and were met by a resounding “Namaste” that I came floating back to reality. As we took turns introducing ourselves, I told the girls that I like to surf, which was loosely translated as “playing in the water.” I later realized we were the first foreigners these girls had ever seen, and how vastly different our worlds must seem.

When I interacted with the scholars in a small group, I learned that each wanted to be either a teacher or policewoman when she grew up. Curious, I asked why and got an insightful and direct response from one of the girls: "Because they can affect change." In this tiny village where most people make a living in agriculture, policemen and teachers are seen as authority figures with reputable careers. In this particular school, the headmaster and teachers are all male. I was stunned that, in a world where most girls never advance past 8th grade, each girl here had hope in her eyes and the aspiration to break the status quo.

I asked to learn a Hindi word, and was taught “home” and “work." Just by this casual interaction, it was evident that family is central to the lives of people in this village, and even a 10-year-old girl has to work incredibly hard to help out. For one girl, this meant waking up early every morning to fetch water from the well. When it came time to go to school, her parents would tell her to just stay home and finish her chores. She would beg to leave, sometimes just running to school to seek refuge; she was that determined to continue her education, with or without their support.

Despite the factors against them, these girls are determined to improve their circumstances, and Room to Read has helped tremendously. We played a life skills game with an older age group, covering everything from how AIDS is contracted, to the effects of puberty, to how to be an effective communicator. These were very progressive and sensitive subjects, but the girls’ confidence shone. When asked if they wanted to finish secondary school, every single head nodded "yes" with enthusiasm.

As a chapter leader, I felt blessed and humbled by the Chapter Leader Trek—not only by seeing our work, but seeing how these girls fight daily for things we take for granted. Attending this trip reaffirmed my desire to make a difference in the world, and after seeing the success of Room to Read’s work with my own eyes, I’m confident we’re doing just that. I was awestruck by the children’s zest for learning, undeniable courage, and perseverance to gain an education; I will share their story for years to come. Although we were treated as honored guests and thanked profusely by the community for our efforts, the true stars of the village were right there all along.

Take a quick journey to Rajasthan by viewing Sherrie's slideshow.

Interested in joining a Room to Read Chapter or attending a fundraising event? Visit our website for more information.

 

Visit Zak the Yak in His New Digital Home!

He’s hairy and hoofed
And trapped in a book,
But our friend Zak’s new home
Is on the web; take a look!

With color sheets and mazes
And tongue twisters galore,
Zak’s new site will inspire
Your little ones to do more

Like learn about our work
Or start their own page
Or maybe take Yak-tion since
Giving back’s all the rage

Zak’s online debut is really quite fun,
So hoof on over and enjoy
“For the sooner you start,
Then the sooner you’re done!”

Please give Zak a nice housewarming gift and visit him in his new online home!

Special thanks goes out to the Atlassian Foundation for their site design.

Room to Read Volunteers: Rolling Up Their Sleeves to Support Literacy

Volunteers are the lifeblood of most non-profit organizations, and Room to Read is proud to claim a worldwide network of individuals who have committed their time and efforts to help us continue our work in education. They are officially named our Chapters, but we regularly call them our heroes, ambassadors and superstars.

December 5 is International Volunteer Day, as established by the United Nations in 1985, and though we appreciate our chapter volunteers every minute, we take this special opportunity to take our hats off and express our warm thanks for countless hours of work that have produced outstanding results in fundraising and awareness-raising for Room to Read.

Who are these individuals who willingly give up their evenings and weekends to coordinate and attend fundraising events and meetings, stuff envelopes, make phone calls and spread the word about the work we’re doing?  At our annual chapter leadership training, the hankies come out as we hear the moving stories of why each individual decided to commit their time and energy to Room to Read. For some, it’s having experienced economic challenges as a child, for others, it’s having traveled to areas where we work and wanting to make a difference.

Jennifer Mathy, the driving force behind the new chapter in Ridgefield, Connecticut (scheduled to officially launch in 2011), was drawn to Room to Read looking for a way to turn tragedy into world change. She recently returned to Connecticut after spending two years in Singapore with her family. While in Singapore, she got involved with a charity that builds schools in Cambodia and provides student scholarships in the Philippines.

She explains, “The first school I helped to rebuild had collapsed 11 years before, during the Khmer Rouge regime, a time when an entire generation of educated adults were massacred, leaving an entire generation of kids without access to an education. More than 1,000 children in the area had never been to school, had never learned to read or write, had never seen a book. Visiting that school, meeting those villagers, changed my life.”

This wasn’t the first event that had a profound effect on Jennifer’s life. On September 11, 2001, she was heading to work in Tower Two in New York. "I had just walked through the door to my office building when the first plane hit that morning," she recalls. "My experiences that day, the horrible things I witnessed and the amazing people I met, will stay with me for the rest of my life.”

Last summer, Jennifer read about a local initiative to build a memorial to commemorate the victims of 9/11. “When I read the article about the Ridgefield memorial, I asked myself, ‘Why does a memorial have to be a physical structure?’ A memorial like that is important to a community, to remind us of the people we lost and of those who stepped up and said, ‘Yes, I’ll help another human being.’ But why can’t a memorial be a living, breathing thing? Why can’t I be a memorial to those 7,600 people? That’s when I contacted Room to Read.”

Room to Read’s goal is to help 10 million children by the year 2015. Jennifer has personally committed to helping 7,600 of those people, one for every person who lost their lives or their spouses or parents in the Twin Towers. She has already recruited 15 people to join the new chapter and she is planning to hold an informational meeting about Room to Read for the entire Ridgefield community, not only to recruit chapter members, but also to raise awareness of the organization.  She notes, “We have a lot of talent in Ridgefield, and I want to be sure we get the word out about the amazing work Room to Read is doing.”

There are more than 5,000 Room to Read volunteers around the world like Jennifer Mathy.  Almost from day one, Room to Read established a unique chapter model to utilize volunteers in major cities around the world and these volunteers make long-term commitments to help promote the organization within their own personal networks and communities. This year, our fundraising chapters in over 50 cities worldwide have raised more than US$10 million, which is one-third of our annual budget.

Room to Read’s continued success in fundraising translates directly into more books, more schools, better teaching and expanded access to quality education. We salute our family of volunteers around the globe who have helped us reach over five million children.

For more information about how to get involved with a chapter near you or for other volunteer opportunities, please visit our website.

 

Guest Blog: A Tribute to Dads, A Yak Bell, and a Challenge

This guest blog is by Crystal Wilson, one of two chapter leaders of Room to Read's Seattle Chapter (Seattle was our first Room to Read chapter, started in 1999!).  Crystal has been leading the charge for Room to Read in Seattle since 2007 with much passion and inspiration.  But, she was inspired herself by two sisters half-way across the country who started a Room to Read fundraising campaign in honor of their dad and Crystal wanted to lend her passion to their efforts as well.  Read on to learn more and see her challenge and announcement to us all in honor of Father's Day!

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Father’s Day is a great time for me to reflect on why I’m a donor to and a fundraising chapter leader for Room to Read (GO SEATTLE!).  And to honor my Dad with a Father’s Day gift (you must read to the end).

I first learned about Room to Read in April, 2006 and immediately started donating.  I love their approach, their business acumen, and their positive, get-it-done attitude.  It wasn’t until a while into my involvement with Room to Read that I realized that what really got me involved was my Dad.  In spite of his background and upbringing (perhaps because of it) he married one of the strongest willed, smartest, prettiest, and most independent women I’ll probably ever know.  And I remember how often he reminded me how great she was.  Although I know he would have loved to have had a son with athletic skills, he adored me and valued the person I was – in spite of my complete lack of athleticism!  He raised me to believe that I could do anything I wanted to in life and that being a girl was just what I was but certainly didn’t dictate any path in life.

I remember being inducted into Honor Society in middle school.  Immediately after the ceremony, he pulled me aside and told me how the induction speeches talked about the honor student and how “he” did this or that.  He…. He…. He….  My Dad said, they kept saying “he” and there were WAY more girls up there than boys.  And then he said, “Fix that!”

After some time with Room to Read, I realized I was involved with the organization because my Dad’s voice was still in the back of my head saying “Fix that!”  Room to Read is fighting illiteracy and gender inequality in education in the developing world head on and through them, I am able to help contribute to “fixing that” by donating money and time in  working with the local chapter to raise funds.   

Last week I heard a story about Robyn and Alyse, two sisters who are honoring their Dad by raising funds for Room to Read.  Their goal is to raise $24,000 to establish six libraries so their Dad can ring the “yak bell” – a tradition Room to Read has when a big announcement is made (and yes, it truly is just a loud bell typically worn by a Nepali yak).  

Check our more of their inspiring story here:
http://yakbell.wordpress.com/. 

Wow, their Dad sounds like one heck of a guy! In their story, you can feel their love for him, not just for how they talk about what he did in raising them but in how they obviously love and value him.  Their story is completely different from mine except for the love and support they got from their Dad.

My Dad died not long after that Honor Society induction but I still hear his voice every day.  He’s the source of most of my inappropriate comments and many of my bad jokes but he’s also the source of my determination to make the world a better place.

So in honor of my Dad, in honor of the many Dad-like influences in my life, in honor of the men in my life who continually impress me by their dedication to and support of their daughters and sons, and in honor of these two sisters and their love for their Dad…I’m making a $24,000 challenge donation.  That means, I’ll match what Robyn and Alyse raise in honor of their Dad so we can build more Room to Read libraries! 

We challenge you to honor your Dad’s by donating to Room to Read in support of these sisters.  Because raising a child, is as much a man’s responsibility as it is a woman’s.  Because of the tremendous influence your Dad (or Dad-like influences) have had in your life.  Because Father’s Day is a great time to say thanks, pay it forward, and give more kids the opportunity for education and advancement. And because I want to be there when Robyn and Alyse’s Dad rings the yak bell! 

Guest Blog: Notes from our Chapter Leadership Conference

Right now, Room to Read is conducting its annual Chapter Leader Conference (the 9th annual), which gives the Room to Read staff the opportunity to bring our chapter leaders up-to-date and to present our vision for the years ahead. It also provides a key forum for chapter leaders to share best practices across their chapters.  Our Boston Chapter Co-Leader, Barb Heffner, shares her impressions of one of the sessions on our Girls' Education program which ties in nicely with this week's celebration of International Women's Day.

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When I attended my first Chapter Leader Conference last year, I was ill-prepared from a tissue-stocking standpoint. There are so many moments when a Room to Read program staffer shares a story of an individual student, which makes Room to Read’s work come alive (and makes me reach for my Kleenex!)

Emily Leys kicked off the first session which immediately started the tear-jerking moments. Emily is a senior global program officer for Room to Read, leading the Girls’ Education Program -- a personal favorite of mine. Emily has been with the organization for nine years, and she’s just a ball of fire. She graciously gave us an hour of her time and then left directly for the airport, for a trip to Vietnam!

I always value the stats about the difference that girls’ education can make. For example, one study shows that educating an additional 10 percent of the girls in a country boosts the GDP by three percent.

We tend to oversimplify the Girls’ Education program, for shorthand, by describing it as a girls’ scholarship program. But that’s a terrible injustice because it’s so much more than that, and the program’s tremendous success depends on its holistic nature. It includes exam preparation and tutoring, remedial education, transportation where needed, life skills workshops and mentoring. In a nutshell, the program is designed not just to educate a girl in the conventional sense, but also to support the student and equip her for success in life.

The program has been underway for a sufficiently long time now that Room to Read is beginning to see its first graduates! And the success rate has been terrific, with about 98 percent of girls advancing to the next grade. 

One program graduate is now a Room to Read employee in Cambodia, working as a mentor for younger girls. She is bringing the benefits of education full circle, providing the next generation of students with a vibrant role model from their own community.

Another student who has graduated demonstrates the lengths some girls will go to to advocate for themselves. This girl – a member of India’s untouchable caste – was always highly self-motivated. When both of her parents died, she began living with an aunt, who initially did not support her desire to continue her schooling. This young girl went on a hunger strike for three days to show her auntie how very much she wanted to continue her schooling. (Emily was quick to note that Room to Read does not endorse hunger strikes! This occurred before the student became involved in the Girls’ Education program.)

Under the Girls’ Education program, this girl was able to continue her schooling through secondary school. As part of the program, some health care professionals visited one day as part of a career education session. The student was inspired by this visit, and having graduated, she will shortly start university. She aims to be a doctor!

Stories like this one recharge volunteer chapter leaders like me. Time and again, we are reminded that by sheer chance, we were born in a country where education for girls is a right. It is so rewarding to support an organization that is trying to extend that right to deserving girls in the developing world.

To learn more about our Chapter Network, click here.

Room to Read and Twitter are fermenting something special!

The tweecret is out of the bag!  Just announced today is that for the first time ever, Twitter (www.twitter.com) has decided to formally partner with a charity as part of a Corporate Social Innovation initiative –- and they have chosen Room to Read!  We could not be more excited (and honored)!

Twitter is calling the project the Fledgling Initiative and it's all about Twitter staff participating in a fun experiment to create wine with the San Francisco-based custom winery, Crushpad (www.crushpadwine.com).  Five dollars from every bottle sold will go directly to Room to Read to support our global education programs. The wine’s own micro-site, www.fledglingwine.com, will feature news and updates documenting the wine’s development each step of the way.

John talks about more about this project through a special video below and you can read more about it through our latest press release.

Room to Read (@roomtoread) entered the "twittersphere" just a few weeks ago and we have already collected over 130,000 followers thanks to tweets by @Twitter and Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, and our addition into Twitter's suggested user list.  John Wood is also now tweeting away @JohnWoodRTR.  We can't wait to continue tweeting to showcase the importance of the work that we do, the amazing network of volunteers and chapters helping us promote and support our work in over 40 countries and most importantly, tell the stories about those children Room to Read helps to gain the gift of education.

All the celebrating around our new partnership will take place today, Thursday October 15, at a Twitter event in Tokyo as well as Room to Read's fundraising events in Austin and San Francisco.  Get your tickets before the events are sold out! 

Purchase Tickets:

Click here to purchase tickets for the San Francisco event.

Click here to purchase tickets for the Austin event.