By: Kyrie Sismaet By: Kyrie Sismaet | April 4, 2022 | People, Culture, Celebrity, Local,
Last Thursday was cemented as a big day for children's literacy in Oakland, as local basketball power couple Stephen and Ayesha Curry unveiled the first of their new 150 Little Town Libraries at Franklin Elementary. This program comes in perfect timing to National Library Week and aims to deliver 30,000 books to children across the Bay Area to stimulate the accessibility and joy of reading.
This initiative is a strong partnership between Stephen and Ayesha's other successful nonprofit, the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation launched in 2019, and Little Free Library, a global collection of more than 150,000 free library nooks scattered around communities. Little Town Libraries is the perfect fusion of these two, bolstered and promoted by other community anchors such as the Oakland Public Library, the Oakland Literacy Coalition, and Black Cultural Zone.
These three are to oversee 50 of the libraries each and provide funding in two year grants, which organizers hope will boost literacy rates in children not only throughout Oakland, but to all kids across the greater Bay Area.
Nonprofit Little Free Library has over 150,000 mini bookshelves acros global communities that feature diverse and unique authors.
"From kindergarten through third grade, making sure you are reading at your grade level by the time you get to third grade determines your educational future," co-founder Ayesha emphasizes, "So for us, turning those numbers around is really, really important. We want to encourage kids to read by making it accessible, fun and inspirational."
As literacy rates decline, only 1 in 3 children are reading at their appropriate grade level by third grade, according to the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation. With the onset of distanced learning in the last two years, there have been only 15.4% of Black and 12.5% of Latinx elementary students who can at their grade level. Ayesha and Stephen reiterate the urgency to ameliorate this, "we hope that these free, book-sharing libraries will help plant the seeds needed to continue growing a culture of literacy for the next generation in Oakland.”
Stephen Curry poses in front of his and Ayesha's newly launched Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation wellness bus.
This issue also holds a special connection to Stephen Curry, debuting Little Town Libraries at Franklin Elementary where he also previously assisted to renovate its basketball court. The Golden State Warrior icon admires, "being back here in person, a little more energy and bringing these Little Town Libraries here, this being the first one, hopefully reflects our commitment to Oakland and our commitment to the next generation of kids and continuing to find ways to impact them and giving them the proper resources and fun."
Both Stephen and wife and entrepreneur Ayesha are no strangers to being advocates and local heroes for children's developmental health, as they have been thoroughly occupied with also expanding their Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation. Back in September 2021 they also converted a school bus and rolled it out around Oakland's disadvantaged neighborhoods to further expand their improvement of community and youth wellness. This bus has since become a dependable local holistic hub not only for advancing reading and classroom skills, but also for sports engagement and for delivering healthy meals, partnering also with the Alameda County Community Food Bank.
Stephen Curry reads to students of Franklin Elementary, where he also previously helped renovate their basketball court.
Similarly around Oakland's under-resourced neighborhoods, the 150 Little Town Libraries are set to be installed in Fruitvale, Chinatown, and both East and West Oakland. Over 50,000 free books are to be distributed among these mini nooks, and Stephen Curry reitorates, "these boxes, can hopefully make the access to literacy resources and service these kids in a fun way and accessible way."
"Like Ayesha said 150 of these are going to go around Oakland and the right areas and locations," Stephen genuinely expresses, "that means 30,000 books at the hands of kids that need the inspiration, the tools to develop at the right ages and hopefully bring an amazing experience of fun to reading which is what it's all about."
Spot either the local role models' wellness bus or any of their upcoming Little Town Libraries being constructed whenever you're in Oakland and encounter your next inspiration.
Photography by: Suad Kamardeen/Unsplash
