This article originally appeared in The Daily Targum, November 25, 2024
Students and faculty in the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy recently collaborated with the Wash and Learn Program at Roosevelt Elementary School to implement the Laundry Literacy Initiative, a Spanish book drive, according to a press release from Rutgers.
Anne-Marie McMahon, a bilingual primary school teacher in the first grade at Roosevelt Elementary School, founded the Wash and Learn program with the goal of providing safe, secure access to literary resources for families, according to a press statement from New Brunswick Public Schools.
The program meets twice a month at the Handy Street Laundromat in New Brunswick, where books are provided so families can read together between loads of laundry and is in need of children’s books written in Spanish.
Siclali Flores, a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging graduate fellow in the Bloustein School, and Patricia O’Brien-Richardson, an associate professor of teaching in the Bloustein School, were among the team that worked on the initiative and discussed it in depth with The Daily Targum.
According to Flores, McMahon described some areas of New Brunswick as book deserts. Furthermore, Flores said that McMahon designed the initiative to be a library within a laundromat and that there are workshops and volunteer work available for families.
“It is a very interesting program that Miss Anne-Marie has put together, and it has helped strengthen the community and the relationship between parents and children,” Flores said.
Also from the Rutgers press release, the Spanish book drive aims to encourage access to Spanish-language literature due to the increasing number of Spanish-speaking families in the New Brunswick area.
“We would love for students to be part of this effort and ensuring that they themselves can also help uplift the community that they are currently residing in,” Flores said.
Flores said that she worked with Brian Kurisky, executive director of the Collaborative Center for Community Engagement, who led her to the Wash and Learn program so she could conduct an assessment of the initiative’s needs and find ways to meet them.
Flores said that the idea of the book drive derived from her participation in one of the programs of the initiative, where she noticed that parents were asking about Spanish-language books. Additionally, she said that she is looking for books that can be used by parents and content that is related to the Spanish-speaking community.
“It’s something that we are very proud of, because we’re helping meet those needs and bridging the gaps when it comes to literacy and improving literacy in the community,” she said.
Flores said that she feels a personal connection to the Spanish book drive due to her low-income upbringing in New Brunswick. She said she sees herself in the children involved in the initiative, as her family often lacked the resources to buy books.
Flores said the Bloustein School is helping with the book drive because financial barriers should not be a roadblock for a child’s education and future.
“It’s not about giving them the resources, but ensuring that they thrive, so they can have the best outcomes in life,” Flores said.
Richardson said that they are exploring a grant to expand on the book drive to supply more children with books. She said that she hopes that the book drive will inspire other organizations to follow and meet the needs of the community.
“I feel like what this mission is doing is it’s sort of … embracing the community from the back and just giving it a big hug from Bloustein,” Richardson said.