Educational Program
Contact Carol Taylor: ctaylor@brothersbrother.org

The Brother’s Brother Foundation links people’s resources
to people’s needs. For the Education Program, this means
getting books to children, students and readers
of all ages who otherwise have little access to such materials.

A university librarian from Africa described classes of several hundred students
using one or two textbooks housed in the library. Students cannot afford their
own books, and even libraries cannot provide access to course material for every
student. At the primary and secondary school level, a school may simply be a cement
slab with a tin roof, no paper, no books, no furniture. This situation abounds
throughout the globe, making educational opportunities difficult and ineffective.
The Education Program seeks to help efforts within developing countries
to build educational infrastructures by providing donated books and educational
materials. Education provides citizens the opportunity to strengthen
civil society and effect real change in their communities. Since 1962 BBF has
supported education in less developed and developing countries. Through generous
contributions of books from publishers nationwide the Education Program provides as
many as three million books a year to programs in Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa and Central & South America. Donated books range from pre-reader picture books through primary and secondary school to college, post-graduate, medical text and general library books. Institutions of learning, public libraries and social organizations receive these donations and distribute them in their communities.

Books Across the Sea The largest of BBF's education projects is the Books Across the Sea (BATS) Program in the Philippines. Books for all ages are distributed throughout the country, from as far as the remote island of Sulu in the south. BATS is the Philippine's biggest book donation program. The Books Across the Sea Program,
	in cooperation with local Rotary clubs, as distributed twelve million books to 40,000 of the 46,000 private and public schools nationwide. As school enrollment continues to increase, the need and request for textbooks increases as well. This project continues to address the lack of educational resources throughout the Philippine Islands.

Ghana Book Program

In 1996, a book program was established in Ghana, West Africa. With an illiteracy rate of 35.5%, Ghana is taking action to support literacy programs. As a part of this action against illiteracy, BBF has sent over 2,000,000 books, donated by leading U.S. publishers, to Ghana. To date, more than 100,000 students have accessed donated books, increasing their academic opportunities and scholastic performance.

Room to Read During the last three years, BBF has developed an ongoing partnership with a new organization whose goal is to provide and stock libraries and resource centers for primary age children in Nepal and Cambodia. BBF has donated approximately 283,000 books thus far under this program. The libraries are very much a community project and when the books are finally received they are put out on the

shelves where they are easily accessible to the children rather than locked away and brought out only when needed. The libraries have made a real difference in the communities in which they are placed, both in educating the children and promoting awareness of the importance of learning to the parents.

In the Future…
As global industries and economies expand, education remains a crucial component of any country's ability to successfully compete within the global community. With that in mind, BBF will continue to pursue new sources of educational materials and supplies as well as new recipient partnerships in developing countries around the world. In many countries, children lack even the most basic educational resources such as notebooks, craft paper, crayons, art supplies and writing implements -- items that allow children to develop through creative expression and play. The BBF Educational Program hopes to promote the development of children around the globe so that they may become better citizens.

If you wish to support BBF's Educational Program with a monetary donation, please click here.