Room to Read is an innovative nonprofit leader dedicated to promoting and enabling global education. Founded in 2000, the organization is based on the belief that education is crucial to breaking the cycle of poverty in the developing world. Since then, the organization has supported over 5 million children by providing increased access to higher-quality educational opportunities. Room to Read has established more than 1,442 schools, over 10,759 bilingual libraries with 9 million books, and continues to support the education of 10,400 girls.

We partner with local communities throughout the developing world to provide quality educational opportunities by establishing libraries, creating local language children’s literature, constructing schools, and providing education to girls. We seek to intervene early in the lives of children in the belief that education empowers people to improve socioeconomic conditions for their families, communities, countries and future generations. Through the opportunities that only education can provide, we strive to break the cycle of poverty, one child at a time. 

To create a global educational movement to break the cycle of poverty in the developing world. By 2010, Room to Read hopes to improve literacy for 5 million children by establishing over 10,000 libraries and distributing nearly 9 million children’s books.

Room to Read is providing opportunities that change children's lives and communities throughout Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Laos, Nepal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Zambia. Room to Read’s four core strategic initiatives include: • The Reading Room program establishes libraries and stocks them with local-language children's books, original Room to Read titles, donated English-language books, games and furniture to create a child-friendly learning environment.
• The School Room program partners with local communities to build schools so children can learn in a safe, child-friendly environment.
• The Girls' Education program provides long-term, holistic support enabling girls to pursue and complete their secondary education.
• The Local Language Publishing program sources new content from local writers and artists and publishes high-quality children’s books in the local languages.

• Since 2000 Room to Read has supported over 5 million children by providing betteraccess to education.
• Room to Read has built 1,442 schools and established 10,759 bilingual libraries.
• Room to Read has published 521 original local language children's books.
• To date, Room to Read has distributed over 9 million children's books that include original Room to Read titles, donated English-language books and local language books.
• Room to Read supports 10,400 girls through its Girls’ Education program.
• In 2008, Room to Read trained more than 6,800 teachers, principals and librarians to work in Room to Read program sites.
• In 2008, Room to Read established a library every 4 hours.
• In 2008, Room to Read on average, distributed 3 books a minute.
• In 2008, Room to Read constructed one school every 1.5 days.
• In 2008, Room to Read provided access to a library for US $11/day.
• In 2008, Room to Read provided over one million school days to girls who would never have had the opportunity to receive an education.