We’re thrilled to offer Project LIT Collections! Not familiar with Project LIT Community? Read on to learn, in their own words, a little more about the mission that drives this passionate group of students and educators.

About Project LIT Community

In August 2016, my students (recent graduates of Maplewood High School) and I founded Project LIT to eliminate book deserts and promote a love of reading in our Nashville community. Over the past four years, we have connected with all-star students, educators and authors to transform a class project into a national, grassroots literacy movement—one step, one book and one conversation at a time.

Currently, there are more than 1,700 Project LIT “chapters” across all 50 states. As you’ve probably seen on social media, every Project LIT chapter looks a little different and that’s by design! However, all of us work together to:

EMPOWER our students as readers, writers and leaders

PROMOTE a love of reading in our schools and communities

NURTURE authentic reading identities by increasing access to high-quality books, building community and fostering a sense of belonging

CHAMPION young people and books that reflect their lived realities, communities and identities

ADVOCATE for literacy policies and practices that will build lifelong readers

SUPPORT AND INSPIRE one another as we improve our practice and pedagogy

READ, DISCUSS AND CELEBRATE books that make our students feel seen, heard, affirmed and valued

DEVELOP our cultural competence and EXPAND our thinking, regardless of individual starting point

AMPLIFY voices and stories of students and educators of color

REWRITE the narrative about which texts and authors are deemed worthy of academic study

PROVIDE students with as many positive literacy experiences as possible

How does it work?

First, educators apply to become a Project LIT chapter leader. Once accepted, educators access our Project LIT “Starter Kit” and connect with our community via social media and our monthly Zoom events to develop a game plan for their school. From there, educators work alongside students and staff to officially “launch” their chapter. We know this school year has been a challenge for all of us (to put it lightly), so please know that there is absolutely no rush to get started.

About Our Project LIT Chapters

As we mentioned, there are now more than 1,700 Project LIT chapters across all 50 states, and they all look a little different! Whether you’re in an elementary or high school, small town or big city, we’d love for you and your students to join our movement! Check out the graphic below to review our chapter leader expectations.

Our Journey

After reading about book deserts in August 2016, we had a conversation in Room 220: “What can we do to eliminate book deserts in Nashville?” The rest, as they say, is history.

Our first step was to launch a book drive, and thanks to our students’ successful social media campaign, we collected more than 15,000 books. From there, we placed many of these books in our LIT libraries, converted USA Today newsstands, which we set up in local community centers and YMCAs.

However, we soon realized that the solution wasn’t simply to increase book access—it was to increase access to high-quality, culturally sustaining books. Books that allow all students to see themselves in the pages. Books that communicate to all students that their voices and their stories matter—that they matter. Books that encourage us to write stories of our own. Books that spark important, necessary conversations. Books that remind us that we’re not alone, and books that inspire us to make a difference. Books that inspire students to fall in love with reading again or for the first time.

And with that in mind, we started Project LIT Book Club. At its simplest form, it is a monthly opportunity for students, educators and community members to come together in our library (or on Zoom) to read, discuss and celebrate great books.

However, Project LIT is not just about books; it’s also about belonging. It’s about building a community of readers and writers. It’s about empowering our young people and providing our students with as many positive literacy experiences as possible. (See below for an original poem, written by our student founders!) 

In June 2017, we encouraged other educators and students to join our movement and launch Project LIT chapters of their own. We haven’t let up since.

Get Involved

Now, thanks to the power of social media, we’ve welcomed all-star students and educators from across the country to our growing LIT community! And yes, we’d love for you to join our movement, too! If you’re interested in joining Project LIT Community, complete our chapter leader application or contact us at projectlitcommunity@gmail.com!

To connect with Project LIT Community on social, follow them on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @projectlitcomm and use the hashtag #ProjectLITBookClub.