Malcom X

OneBook’s goal is to help spread literacy and cultural awareness throughout the developing world as well as underprivileged schools here in Pittsburgh by collecting and delivering old children’s books for them to use.

Mission Statement

Linguist Seth Mydans notes that our increasingly globalized world is, for better or worse, dominated by the English language. Learning English is thus one of the most fundamentally necessary skills that can be taught in education systems across the globe, since it’s the language which connects people, businesses, and ideas.

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Unfortunately, not everyone shares similar access. Many developing nations struggle with teaching English to their young students. According to The Guardian, 1 in 4 youth in third-world countries are illiterate. This is largely because resources or funds needed to supplement existing curricula are lacking. Some areas are simply unable to afford books and reading material, which can be pricy. Yet, the situation is not entirely better in the relatively affluent areas of developing nations, either. Often, educators only use textbooks or other teaching guides in teaching English. In these areas, therefore, structures do exist to teach children English, but in a limited nature.

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The problem with this approach is twofold. Anyone who’s opened a textbook before in school will tell you that the material isn’t the most exciting stuff they’ve ever read; in fact, textbooks can be quite dry. It’s not easy to fully grasp the material straight out of a textbook because of this, and that’s when the text is in a language that both the teacher and student speak. Imagine what it’s like using those same textbooks in developing nations where English isn’t spoken. Not surprisingly, these students find it difficult to learn English. This is why UNESCO director-general Irina Bokova identifies the lack of quality educational material as the primary factor responsible for illiteracy in the developing world.

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Moreover, textbooks generally provide little external context. You may learn vocabulary, spelling, and various grammar concepts, and even read stories. But readers will be left with a key aspect missing: culture. That is something which a regular textbook is unable to provide. They lack cultural context, and are unable to portray lifestyles, customs, and beliefs associated with language. Thus, students remain unaware of different cultures. This is a problem.

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A significant portion of acrimonious relationships between peoples of different backgrounds can be attributed to a gap in the knowledge about each others’ lifestyle and culture. Cross-cultural knowledge exchange helps bridge this gap and can help build a more harmonious and peaceful world. When one is aware and educated about the cultural backgrounds of other people, he/she is less likely to be inconsiderate and more open to diversity and discussion.

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OneBook is a nonprofit charity consisting of dedicated high schoolers and education members aimed at bridging this gap and help developing countries better understand the English language and its associated culture. Our operations consist of collecting donations of used children’s English novels and storybooks to deliver to underprivileged schools, primarily in the developing world. This is a quick solution to some of the issues presented by the current system of teaching English, as story books are engaging and easy to read, and are highly effective in teaching communication skills.

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And importantly, readers are exposed to culture, as well. They are exposed to different lifestyles, shown other customs, and can begin to understand different perspectives. The ultimate benefit is a better learning experience overall, as prominent literary scholars Louise Rosenblatt and Kathy Short detail in their research, children develop key cognitive and social skills through reading stories.

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OneBook is also dedicated to helping underprivileged schools locally in Pittsburgh, where it is based. Many inner-city schools are poorly funded and could greatly benefit from OneBook’s services. These schools receive little support in terms of actual reading material and supplies, so we hope to make a difference by delivering books to these schools, too.

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Many individuals and families in the local area have old children’s books that they don’t have much use for anymore. OneBook’s primary goal is to collect these books and send them to schools in need. We accept individual donations year-round, and host bookdrives through or at various schools, churches, and other entities to collect our material. OneBook thus serves as this unique link between those who no longer have desire for their old books and schools in dire need of that very crucial learning material. Little by little, by helping schools enhance their English education, we hope to move towards a more educated and harmonious world.