Room to Read School Scheduled to Open in September

I am happy to announce that the Room to Read School that I have helped with is due to open this September. I am absolutely delighted that I'll visit the school in early September on my way home from visiting my son and his family in Indonesia.
There were numerous delays in getting the school built. First, Room to Read wasn't able to start construction on all of their projects as they had hoped. Then they had to work out the details of this project with the local community. There were difficulties getting materials out to the projects. And finally, once the rainy season started, it is hard to make any progress the weather. Despite all these challenges, the school will open soon. I'll post more details as they become available.

Brief Update on school in Vietnam

The school in Vietnam is currently being built and is due to open later this spring. I hope to post some pictures of the school soon. I am really hoping to visit the school in August, on my way to visit my son and his family in Indonesia. More on the school soon!

Room to Read School is Fully Funded!

Dear Friends,

I am delighted to report that the Room to Read school in Vietnam I have been working on is now fully funded. As you can imagine, I am truly pleased that the school will be built soon. Thank you one and all who supported me in this effort!

Room to Read's report on the school is below but here's a brief summary:
Construction will begin this fall; the school is scheduled to open in early 2009. It will be a preschool serving 180 students. The school will be located a little over 2 hours from Ho Chi Minh City in the village of Hoi Tri. It will be very much the local community's school; the community will provide 75% of construction funding and will be closely involved in the design process as well. The grade school in Hoi Tri is quite overcrowded; kids currently come to school in split shifts. Giving preschoolers their own school will free up classroom space, allowing more elementary students to attend school for full days.
I am hoping to visit the preschool in Hoi Tri next March, after I complete my stay as an author-in-residence in a couple of Chinese international schools. I plan to post pictures of the school and its students on my website. When I do, I'll send you a link to share with your students.
I plan on fundraising for another Room to Read school this year, though I'm not sure which country I will focus on as of yet. I had hoped to work on a school in China or Indonesia but Room to Read does not have programs in either country yet. Do you have any thoughts? Would you like to help me? I would love to have your help! Check out the countries Room to Read's works in and let me know! (www.roomtoread.org) They have an awesome program called "Students Helping Students" that you might want to participate in.
I would be delighted to visit your school this coming year and share my books with your students. I will again set aside some of my speaking fees for a Room to Read school. Please visit my website for details about my visits and let me know if you are interested or have any questions.

Room to Read Report
World Change Starts with Educated Children. ®
SCHOOL ROOM APPLICATION REPORT
Prepared for: Ann Martin Bowler
Project ID #: VN-SR-08-0010
Name of School or Community: Hoi Xuan Preschool
Village/City: Hoi Tri
District/Zone: Cai Lay
State/Province: Tien Giang
Country: Vietnam
Description: Hoi Xuan Preschool will be built in Hoi Tri Hamlet, Hoi Xuan Commune, Cai Lay
District, Tien Giang Province. The school site is approximately 10 kilometers from the center of Cai Lay District, 2 hours and 15 minutes from Ho Chi Minh City, and 30 minutes from Cai Lay Town. Tien Giang Province is indicated in green.
NUMBER OF STUDENTS/CHILDREN NUMBER OF TEACHERS
Female: 86 Female: 2
Male: 97 Male: 0
TOTAL: 183 TOTAL: 2
GRADE/LEVEL OF STUDENTS: Preschool
Location

Hoi Xuan Commune has ten hamlets that comprise approximately 1,116 ha of undeveloped land. The population of Hoi Xuan Commune is 10,226 with 2,077 households. Approximately 20% of the population lives below the poverty line. Most of the population makes a living farming, including cultivating crops of rice and fruit and breeding livestock. The rest of the population sells handicrafts and manages small businesses. Unfortunately, flooding has adversely affected agricultural production and the economy. The average income is only around $220 per person per year.
The new preschool will be built in Hoi Tri Hamlet. The majority of people in this hamlet earns a living farming or through small trades. Approximately 75% of the houses in this hamlet are made of wood with thatched roofs, and most of the homes have running water or use well water. The average family has five members. Most families have a small television and motorbike.
The current location of Hoi Xuan Preschool does not provide a safe and stimulating environment for the students. The preschool currently holds classes in a room borrowed from the local primary school. However, even with multiple shifts, the classroom is not big enough for all of the students.
The local government has invested in building a new road that will lead to the preschool. With the new road, more students will have access to the preschool, so it is vital that the preschool build more classrooms. The preschool principal said that the school has enough funds to maintain and repair a new building, but they do not have the funds to build the new school.
Room to Read will partner with the local community to establish a one-story building with two classrooms. Both rooms will be used as classrooms for 3 to 5 year olds. The building will be built of brick, with corrugated steel sheets for the roof, aluminum-framed glass windows, four indoor toilets, light-colored floor and wall tiles, six to eight neon lights per classroom, one fan per classroom, and one teacher’s office. During the second year, a UV water-purification system will be installed. The playground will be partially cemented and many trees will be planted to provide shade for the children.
PROPOSED COMMUNITY/SCHOOL CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROJECT:
- Preschool design
- Site clearance and foundation preparation
- Preparing the land for construction approval
- Supervision of construction progress
- Land for construction
- Provide proper documents and ensure no land disputes
- Furniture for classrooms
- Cement for playground, gate, and boundary wall for the preschool
- Electricity and running water
- Management and maintenance of the new school after construction is complete
- Regular progress reports to Room to Read
- Collection and maintenance of quality certifications
- Playground equipment
- Community will contribute approximately 75% of the total cost of the project
PROPOSED ROOM TO READ CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROJECT:
- Payment for construction materials and skilled labor
- Training for community members in construction supervision
- Collaborate with community to create the building design
- Monitoring and supervision of construction progress

Room to Read School in Vietnam is Almost Funded!

Dear Friends,

I have great news about my fundraising effort to build a Room to Read school in Vietnam. I have raised $15,000. toward the school to date. That means I only $2,000 more before the school is fully funded. I will receive a report detailing the location of the school and the community it will serve in July. The school will be completed in Q1 2009. Isn't that awesome?

I have decided to dedicate the school in the memory of my mom who, as those of you who knew her remember, was quite an amazing lady. Part of the plaque will read....."to honor the memory of Florence MacFarlane Martin, who believed that through education lies the hope for a bright future for every child."

I need to sincerely thank those of you who supported or encouraged me with this project. Without your assistance, this school would not be. Thank you! If you would like to help me complete this project or help me with my next school in China, let me know. I welcome any and all support!

I would love to visit your local school this next year. Please look over my website, www.annmartinbowler.net to learn about my books and school programs. They are honestly lots of fun!

Again, I thank you for your support,
Annie Bowler

P.S. Want to learn more about Room to Read? Go to www.roomtoread.org

A Bit of History....

While teaching at privately run Jakarta International School (JIS) in January of 2007, I was amazed at JIS's extensive resources. Not only does JIS offer small class sizes but their staff was the most talented group of teachers I have ever encountered. All JIS students work with art, music, computer, library, and P.E specialists. There seemed to be a small army of tutors, counselors, and support staff ready to aid students. JIS's libraries are packed with books, their computer labs have all the latest equipment, and their athletic facilities are state of the art. All in all, a very impressive, school!

I left the school wishing that all kids could get even half the education that JIS students were offered; after visiting Indonesian public schools which have startlingly little, my feelings became even stronger.

My son runs an organic vegetable farm two hours outside of Jakarta, in a poor region of central Java. The school just down the road from his farm is totally packed, so packed, the students are forced to come in two different sessions. Their school day is short because the same teachers teach both groups of students. Due to lack of funds, this double-session schooling has been going on for a number of years and will continue until money to complete the school is found.

One day, I visited the school near my son's farm. The school will someday be two story; for now only the bottom rooms are complete. The school rooms had a few old tables and chairs, a chalkboard but not much else. I spotted a few books scattered about. The contrast to JIS could not have been more dramatic. But in certain way these kids are lucky; Their school may be simple but they have a school to attend.

While walking through the village, I noticed that many young people were working in the local shops, selling small items. When kids only go to school for a few hours a day, they are available to work beginning at a very young age.

These days, back in America, I am spending a good bit of time in U.S. public schools. Compared to the school near my son's farm, American schools have so much! Certainly we have our own problems, big challenges to face down. But somehow, I cannot forget those little Indonesian kids working in their family's shops. They are so sweet, so lively, but they have no choice but to spend much of their time working; school is available to them for just a few hours of each day.

I discovered Room to Read at an SCBWI (www.SCBWI.org) conference in Davis soon after I returned to the U.S. The moment I read Room to Read's goals, I knew I wanted to support their effort to do something to face down global illiteracy.

I developed a plan: I will use this year's speaking fees to build a school in Vietnam. Since it costs $17,000.00, to build a school in Vietnam, (Yes, you read the number right!) I hope to reach my goal during the 2007-08 school year. It is my sincere hope that the students and teachers I visit here in the U.S. will be gratified to be a part of Room to Read's efforts!