Jan's Haven

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Building Minds

JAN'S HAVEN was established to build healthier Caribbean communities through a variety of programs; our focus is on issues affecting children such as education reform, tolerance, child abuse, drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, HIV/AIDS awareness, testing and prevention, and through the Family First Series program, offer parenting skills and relationship building.

In keeping with our mission for education reform we have implemented project “Building Minds” promoting the fun of reading and literacy to disadvantaged children while encouraging them to become life-long readers who tackle the cycle of underachievement. International research shows that, regardless of their social background, children who read for pleasure do better at school and have better life chances than those who don't.

Libraries in the Caribbean need a wide variety of books and periodicals however; they often cannot afford these purchases because of low or minimal funding. Our project “Building Minds” provides resources that support programs focused on promoting reading and literacy among our children by donating children's reading books. Our program challenges children in elementary, middle and high school to take time out to read while encouraging families and adults to read regularly with young children. It's the mission of Jan’s Haven to help parents and childcare providers develop the language skills of their infants, toddlers, and preschoolers while promoting a love of reading among children and young people (aged 0-19).

We believe that children and young people disadvantaged by their personal circumstances are most in need of our support to help them achieve their potential. We also believe that the sooner children start to enjoy books with their families; the more likely they are to want to become independent and lifelong readers.

Our goal is to eventually have mobile libraries throughout the Caribbean to reach the underserved children in the rural areas and create a vehicle for the world largest book club. Via pen friends and monitored internet chat room children will be able to read specific books and discuss their contents. Children will be targeted in a variety of ways: through existing groups such as after-school clubs, through links with local schools and nurseries, churches or through individual contact with parents, for example via family health workers and community group leaders.

The overall focus our project is on introducing children and their families to the library (which many of them will not have visited before) in a fun and non-threatening way, helping them feel at home during their visit. This also helps to challenge the stereotype that libraries are dull, stuffy places. There will be plenty of fun and interactive activities to join in with, such as storytelling, songs, read a loud book report, face-painting and crafts, and the loan of a free book for every child. Parents are also encouraged to join the library with their child with special incentives. Our goal is to have many participating families sign up and become regular users of our services and to support educational leaders over time in creating school cultures where failure is not an option for any student.