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Stanford
Cardinal Service
Cardinal Commitment

Little Libraries

Multi-quarter part-time
Education & Youth Development

The Little Libraries aims to reduce socioeconomic inequities in early education  by promoting school readiness and literacy in pediatrics clinics around the Mid-Peninsula region.

Founded by Dr. Lisa Chamberlain and the Stanford Pediatrics Advocacy Group, the Little Libraries provides a platform for students to meaningfully address disparities in school readiness. We have established strong partnerships with four mid-peninsula clinics - including Mayview, Ravenswood, Gardner and Fair Oaks. Each waiting room has been equipped with a “library”, where families can read and take home books for free. Undergraduate students will be direct ambassadors of the project. They will have the opportunity to host storytimes for children, develop learning materials, model best practices for and coach parents, and facilitate other literacy focused activities. They will also be involved in collaborative programming with related community organizations, such as libraries and schools. In parallel, the leadership of the Little Libraries will prioritize student education, through focused seminars, workshops, and discussions led by Dr. Chamberlain and field experts. Ultimately, the Little Library’s unique model will enable Cardinal Commitment students to serve the populations facing the greatest barriers to early education.
 
Cardinal Service Mentor: Lisa Chamberlain
 

Service required to fulfill a Cardinal Commitment: Please find below the specific expectations and responsibilities, as well as projected hourly commitment, for those declaring a Cardinal Commitment: 

  • Facilitate 3 storytime sessions per week at any of participating clinics (6 hours/week)
  • Sort and archive books donated to the Little Libraries (2 hours/week)
  • Deliver books to participating clinics, as needed (1 hour/week)
  • Collectively, plan, organize and execute one community-wide literacy event per quarter (1 hour/week)
  • Attend monthly seminars focused on early education and other local health disparities (1 hour/month)
  • (Pending interest) Develop multimedia resources - including videos and online content - that can be deployed for families in Little Library space or remotely (2 hours/week)

 

Location

Bay Area

Open To

Undergraduates
Graduate Students
Coterm

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We do our best to keep the information current for these student service organizations. If you find something that's out of date or want to check to see if an organization is currently active, please contact us.

While the student organizations listed on this site are affiliated with the Haas Center, they operate as independent entities. Accordingly, their activities and perspectives may not represent the positions of the Haas Center or Stanford University. This resource is intended to connect students with a range of service opportunities that align with the diverse interests and viewpoints within the student body.

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