Eleven Volunteer Service Awards were granted this spring; these awardees will be spending between 8 weeks to more than a year volunteering. This and following blogs profile these individuals.
Gianna Biaggi will be spending the summer in Nairobi, Kenya working with Wale Wale. The Wale Wale Community Literacy Project will allow youth in the Kibera slums of Nairobi, Kenya access to a fully functional library, a physical space for homework and academic activities, and books available for checkout. This library will include comprehensive youth services, including small-group literacy tutoring, after school homework help, opportunities for mentorship and scholarship counseling, and employment for community members. Through access to a library, youth in Kibera will be able to improve their reading skills while simultaneously developing their futures. Gianna will be part of a team spending the summer getting the library ready for the beginning of the school year in September.