ElevatED from New York University Abu Dhabi will be working in collaboration with the international organization We Love Reading on a children’s book project. With a mission that closely aligns to ElevatED’s goals and vision of promoting literacy around the world, We Love Reading seeks to provide a complete, sustainable, accessible, cost-efficient, grassroots, flexible, “Read Aloud Program” to foster love of reading among children, empowering communities through activism of local volunteers from the Middle East, Africa and the rest of the developing world.
During spring 2018, ElevatED had virtual meetings with Dr. Rana Dajani, the founder of the organization. Dr. Dajani is a Jordanian molecular biologist and Associate Professor at Hashemite University. The organization We Love Reading has written more than 32 children’s books focused on gender, non-violence, environment, empathy, etc. With the aim of immersing in a project that will produce a physical outcome by combining the talents and capacities of several NYUAD students from different areas of study, ElevatED said they are eager to start working on its first children’s book next semester. The project would allow us to work in collaboration and learn from an international organization, from which we would receive constant feedback.
The book will be written in Arabic -with translation to English and even other languages- and include illustrations. Students interested in creative writing, design, illustration, education in emergencies, and languages would be able to put their talents into practice in a participative and engaging environment.
ElevatED believes that education is a crucial tool for social change, and wants to allow the immersion of NYUAD students in different ways to work on education in the present and future. The topic of the book will be related to refugee children and target readers will be children from 4-10 years old. The book will be used in future SIG’s activities with children in the NYUAD community and UAE. Also, the book will be used by We Love Reading. Students could use the book in their future projects or volunteering activities outside NYUAD.