Building a library for girls in need- one book at a time.
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Let's Meet
I'm Jackie!
Hello! My name is Jackie and I am currently a junior at Downers Grove South. I'm involved with the Speech Team and Blueprint, our school newspaper. I have been a Girl Scout since Kindergarten, and this project is part of my Gold Award. Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved to read. When I first set out to find a project where I could share my love of books with others, I wasn't exactly sure what that project would look like.
I was still pondering my project when during a visit to see my family in Mexico, my 7 year old cousin shared that she was having trouble learning how to read. I asked what kinds of books she liked, and I was surprised to find out that she had no idea. She told me her school didn't have a library, so she had been trying to learn how to read using only workbooks her teachers had given her. The fact that she and her peers didn't have access to a library was foreign and appalling to me. I believe a library is a key resource for every student. I had found my project.
Our Mission Statement
For most of us, the process of learning to read was a natural necessity. From a young age, we are encouraged to find our favorite genre, our favorite author, our favorite series. To many of us, the school library was not a luxury, but rather an expected part of our education. Teachers, librarians, authors, and parents push young and old learners into libraries because easily accessible books, both for educational and practical purposes, should not be considered a luxury. They are a necessity. With this project, I hope to not only encourage young learners to see the power a love of books can hold, but to reiterate and spread what we have always known- literacy is a life skill, and an accessible library is the foundation for building that skill.
To answer your questions...
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Where is the school located?
The Rita Perez School is an all-girls school located in San Juan de los Lagos, Jalisco in Mexico. I wanted to give back to a community I knew and loved, and my home in Mexico seemed the best place for my first large-scale project.
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How many students attend the school? How old are they?
The Rita Perez School has both morning and afternoon sessions. Overall, over a thousand girls, from 1st through 6th grade attend daily. It is the largest all girls public school in the city.
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Who does your team consist of?
I have a great team of people helping me. Lorie Barber, a 5th grade teacher and my former teacher, is my primary adviser. I also work closely with representatives from Girl Scouts, and The Rita Perez School to make sure the project is the best it can be!
Why We Read
"There is no such thing as a child who hates to read; there are only children who have not found the right book."
Frank Serafini
"It is not enough to simply teach children to read; we have to give them something worth reading. Something that will stretch their imaginations—something that will help them make sense of their own lives and encourage them to reach out toward people whose lives are quite different from their own."
Katherine Patterson
"There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world. Love of books is the best of all."
Jacqueline Kennedy