- Trammo, the Oliver Stanton Foundation, Palacios Education Foundation, and Somos Uno LLC partner to donate thousands of bilingual and classic children’s books to under-resourced communities across the U.S.
- The initiative promotes early literacy, dual-language development, and school-family engagement through culturally rich, inclusive storybooks.
- Books will support educators, tutors, hospitals, and community programs, helping children build literacy skills while celebrating their language and heritage.
Trammo and the Oliver Stanton Foundation have partnered with the Palacios Education Foundation and Somos Uno LLC on a key initiative that seeks to expand early literacy access and support multilingual families throughout the United States. This collaboration involves all the partner organizations donating thousands of both bilingual and classic children's books to under-resourced schools, settlement houses, hospitals, and community-based literacy programs with the purpose of fostering literacy, dual-language development, and engagement between schools and home for families.
The donation includes culturally rich bilingual books in English/Spanish and timeless classic storybooks so that children have stories that reflect their experiences, heritage, and imagination. The recipient organizations include Grand Street Settlement in New York, Plant City in Florida, Latinos Educando Juntos (LEJ) in Pennsylvania, The Lisa Libraries, Connecticut Children's Hospital, and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) School of Education.
These books will be utilized by educators, university literacy tutors, reading specialists, and family engagement teams to strengthen literacy skills, promote dual-language development, and support meaningful engagement between schools and families. This new partnership places high-quality books directly into communities, helping to empower teachers, tutors, and parents as active partners in fostering literacy, signaling to children and their families that their home language and cultural background are valued assets.
Sumya Ojakli, Co-Founder of Somos Uno LLC, explained that dual-language books transform the lives of students, building confidence and reinforcing literacy skills while telling every child their story truly matters. Dr. Rebecca A. Palacios, NBCT of the Palacios Education Foundation, emphasized how the initiative brings together culture, language, and storytelling, meeting the unique needs of families and fostering a nurturing community for the children.
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At UTC’s School of Education, the donated books will be integrated into practicum tutoring, early-literacy coursework, and family engagement labs, giving aspiring educators hands-on experience in promoting literacy in diverse communities. The new books also will be used by Connecticut Children’s Hospital for patient-family literacy activities, enabling kids to keep learning and building their literacy skills even while hospitalized, as well as supporting their emotional needs.
These books will be used for family literacy workshops, dual-language reading sessions, parent engagement nights, home visiting programs, and community library distributions across schools, settlement houses, and nonprofit organizations. This collaboration aims to fill book deserts, build home libraries, and nurture a lifelong love for reading by increasing the access of children and families to diverse and inclusive stories.
Building stronger bases in early literacy, this collaboration nurtures generational engagement in reading by creating opportunities for children and families to embrace it as an integral element in personal and academic growth. Equitable opportunities for learning are being created with this effort as organizations preserve the richness of language and culture among communities nationwide.
