Within the “community of change” at American University, students are consistently making change on many levels, both on and off-campus. For students looking to be changemakers on a worldwide scale, Village Book Builders, a nonprofit organization dedicated to education, provides a unique opportunity through their mentoring program.
Based in Utah, Village Book Builders strives to bring “Hope Through Books” per their motto. Currently, they are seeking college students to become involved in their educational mentoring program. This program provides the opportunity to virtually mentor and build relationships with students across the world, and it is a fitting chance for anyone seeking service opportunities.
Since its founding in 2015, the Village Book mentor program has collaborated with libraries across the globe to virtually connect students and their mentors, who are trained through the organization. College and high school students across the country participate in this program, and many schools even run their own chapters of Village Book Builders. Mentors are paired one-to-one, and meet weekly over Google Meet.
Mary Sharp, a student at Brigham Young University, has been mentoring with Village Book Builders since October 2021. She is currently a mentor for the Kadzakalowa Malawi program, serving students at schools in Malawi, Africa. Sharp meets with her assigned student once a week.
“This program is a really great way to take a little bit of your time–wherever you are in the world– and connect with these kids,” Sharp said.
Mentors work with their students to decide which subjects they would like to cover each week. Sharp, who is studying teaching English as a second language, focuses much of her time on English and reading in her sessions.
“English can be such a valuable skill for them,” she said. “Just by helping them to practice for an hour with a native speaker can be huge.”
In March, Sharp learned that the library in Malawi was in need of new laptops. She took it upon herself to fundraise over $400, and was able to provide the school with a new computer.
“As a mentor, you’re in a really unique and valuable position,” Sharp said. “You only sign up to do the hour commitment, but if you have the time and you’re able, you can talk to the director about different ways you can be supportive.”
Regardless of college major, this program is immensely rewarding for all student mentors. Jared Weight, a neuroscience student also at Brigham Young University in Utah, has been mentoring for over a year and currently mentors students in Zambia, Africa.
Similar to Sharp, Weight enjoys reading with his students. “I think it’s really fun to read the books we have, and hear them read and get excited over the stories,” Weight said.
Although the pandemic posed challenges for education–particularly in African countries–it has also opened the world’s eyes to the power of technology, a tool that Village Book Builders uses significantly.
“There’s a lot of negative things about the pandemic, but there’s also positives,” Weight said. He admires how communities like Village Book Builders have used virtual platforms to their advantage over the past few years.
For Weight, he ensures his students are learning as much as possible during their virtual sessions. “I cater to their needs, even though it is remote,” he said.
In addition to helping students learn across disciplines, there is also something special in learning about various cultures beyond one’s own.
“To be able to experience another culture outside the United States is super important,” said Weight. “Everyone would benefit from being able to see another culture that is not our own.”
For all mentors, this program has been an incredibly rewarding opportunity, one that they plan to continue throughout their studies. Although he gets up typically around 6 a.m. to mentor, Weight knows the work he is doing will be of incredible value for his students.
“Students should know it’s really rewarding,” Weight said. “Every time I get on the call and I see the kids come on, and we start to read together, my attitude changes and I know why I signed up for it.”
For any student interested in becoming a mentor, information can be found here. Village Book Builders is seeking college students, high school students and teachers to mentor.