Ridgecrest Little Free Library

The purpose of this project is to put a little free library in the Ridgecrest neighborhood to encourage youth academic and social development through literacy. I plan to accomplish this project with a close relative of mine who grew up in the Ridgecrest neighborhood, who has formed relationships with many of its residents. We hope that this simple, yet impactful project will create a fun and exciting approach to reading, which we also hope will have a long term effect on the youth in the neighborhood.

Once having the money in hand, our tasks are fairly simple. We plan to purchase necessary tools, equipment, and materials to build and decorate the library, such as plexiglas, paint, etc. Furthermore, we plan to purchase books for the library if enough are not donated.

According to Literacy Mid-South, reading on a third grade level by the end of third grade is one of the most critical milestones in education. However, every year more than 6,000 students in Shelby County leave the third grade missing learning skills that are critical to their success. Therefore,we hope that this project will impact student's academic performance in school as well as create a passion for reading. Although, two people cannot eradicate literacy issues, it is certainly a start. By implementing this library in the Ridgecrest neighborhood, we hope to introduce innovative ideas, such as book sharing to neighborhoods that does not receive much attention in regards to these approaches. Furthermore, this project is also intended to impact the social development aspect not only of the youth, but  the neighborhood as a whole.