Optional Reading

Since 2016, Spread the Words Cambodia has partnered with public schools to establish and maintain school libraries with the goal of enhancing students’ formal education. Reading is fundamental to a child’s development; it not only aids in social-emotional development, but also sets a child up for a lifetime of learning. Access to literature and books in rural Cambodia is almost nonexistent, particularly texts that are not a part of the state-mandated curriculum. We believe that a love for reading can only be developed with regular and consistent access to a variety of reading materials. 

Our mission is to enhance education and support lifelong learning through literacy. We not only create spaces to come and read – we create centers for discovery, creativity, problem-solving, and empowerment. By working with schools, we’re helping to engage the next generation of learners and establish the foundations to bring people, ideas, and information together. 

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We recently had a quick scan of the library logs for Banteay Meas Primary and Secondary schools. Can you guess the genre of book most popular with students? 

Ghost stories! 

Incidentally, we learned that girls overwhelmingly make use of library resources, particularly at the secondary level. We have also learned that throughout the state-mandated school closures due to COVID-19, students have been coming to school to check out library books. As Cambodia reopens in the coming months, we will be adding to these collections with this information in mind. Drop us a line if you are interested in contributing to these efforts.