“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go” (Suess, 1978). Dr. Suess books continue to be a stepping stone for young readers nationwide. Although these stories teach basic sight words and spark a curiosity for reading in children, where do they turn as they grow older? Children will not continue to expand their library unless they are interested in the books surrounding them. The classroom setting can be a difficult place to encourage a passion for reading. Every student is different. With each student having a different level of enthusiasm, how as educators do we steer them towards a story in which they will connect with?
The answer: Write Our World. With our students pushing away from flat learning and diving deeper into global learning, it is important as educators we provide the appropriate resources for them to do so. Write Our World is an online e-book website in which stories are written for children, by children. The organization founder, Julie Carey, believed the world needed to fix the educational gap. This includes communities that lack access to printed books, communities which are unfamiliar with the cultural world around them, as well as, community engagement. By granting children of different cultures and different nationalities access to this website, it allows them to share their own beliefs, as well as, inform themselves of others.
The website currently has 180 published books written by 457 different students worldwide – from Guatemala to Cambodia. Due to the diversity this organization aims to offer to aspiring readers, e-books are offered in 27 different languages in order to reach a broadened audience. These stories help allow youth to obtain a more global understanding of the cultures surrounding them. The catalog categories range from the non-fiction details of becoming a refugee family to views on war, food and culture. Classrooms are diverse environments in which children should be exposed to different beliefs in order to form new perspectives. By inspiring students to read stories they may have never considered before; many which they most likely do not even know are out there, we are introducing them to a world outside of what they are accustomed. This organization is also allowing these youth to feel empowered by proving that their words matter and are educating others. By instilling this sense of confidence and embedded education in students, Write Our World is helping to mold our future educators. You may find more education at their website, which can be found here: https://writeourworld.org/ .