Room To Read

John Wood, Founder and Executive Chairman, launched Room to Read after a trek through Nepal. He visited several local schools and was amazed by the warmth and enthusiasm of the students and teachers, but also saddened by the shocking lack of resources. Driven to help, John quit his senior executive position with Microsoft and built a global team to work with rural villages to build sustainable solutions to their educational challenges. Founding Room to Read, John wove proven corporate business practices with his inspiring vision to provide educational access to 10 million children in the developing world. His novel approach to non-profit management called for: * Scalable, measured, sustainable results * Low-overhead, allowing maximum investment in educational infrastructure * Challenge grants fostering community ownership and sustainability * Strong local staff and partnerships creating culturally relevant programs Room to Read has developed a holistic, multi-pronged approach to help children in the developing world gain the lifelong gift of education. The approach includes the following programs: * School Room — We partner with villages to build schools. * Reading Room — We establish bi-lingual libraries and fill them with donated English books and local language books purchased in-country or self-published, creating a colorful space with posters, games, furniture, and flooring. * Local Language Publishing — We source new content from local writers and illustrators and publish high-quality local language children's books to distribute throughout our networks. * Girls' Education — We fund long-term girls' scholarships for young girls who would otherwise not have access to an education.