Spread The Word Information

Spread The Word empowers families and communities in the developing world to enrich children's learning experiences. Working hand in hand with local partners, we ensure that children are engaged in fun learning activities throughout their day, all year round. We train adults about why it is important to read to children, and how they can create simple learning materials using locally available resources. We train volunteers to lead reading clubs, where children gather to hear stories, sing songs, and play games that help children build the skills they need to succeed in school and in life. These activities have all been shown in the academic literature to directly contribute to children's improved learning. Spread The Word's innovation is its model of implementation. We seek to elevate the overall culture of learning, so we work with one of the most important cultural institutions found across the world -- religious organizations. Though we are a secular organization, we recognize the central role that religion has in the lives of our beneficiaries. Churches and mosques are based on the written word. They are found in every corner of the world. They possess a mature infrastructure and sophisticated communication systems. And, most importantly, religious organizations are dedicated to improving the welfare of the community. We build grass roots coalitions of different churches and mosques in order to improve learning not just for children who attend school, but for every child in that community, from the day a child is born. Our work is informed by the data and evaluations we regularly conduct, ensuring that our resources and efforts are yielding the maximum impact so that all children can better reach their potential.