Literacy & Girls' Education Nonprofit at Work in Vietnam

Over the decades, Room to Read has become a trusted partner to Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training (MoET). Our Literacy Program and Girls’ Education Program are recognized as the most affordable and scalable interventions that improve educational outcomes. This foundational work is essential in addressing — and mitigating — recent learning losses, including poor reading habits and disproportionate dropout rates for girls.

Advocating for systemic educational improvements

Room to Read is one of the only nonprofit organizations that works as both an implementer at the local level in Vietnam and as a technical assistance provider at the regional and national levels.

At the local level, Room to Read establishes demonstration libraries in schools, which are used to train and equip provincial education officers to replicate Room to Read’s child-friendly library model across hundreds of schools — an approach that benefits more students, more quickly.

At the national level, Room to Read has become one of MoET’s preferred partners in training educators at scale and developing national standards, including the country’s national library standards for schools. Our work is closely aligned with — and continues to inform — educational policies and standards.

Improving how children learn to read and write

Room to Read's child-friendly library model ensures students gain access to local language and culturally relevant children’s books in primary schools. Our in-country team leverages our trusted relationships within communities — communities that are increasingly rural and historically underserved — to provide tailored training and support to local educators to integrate more reading activities and library time into the school day. We also collaborate with authors, illustrators and publishers in Vietnam’s local children’s book publishing ecosystem to create, publish and fill library shelves with culturally relevant storybooks in local languages.

Combatting harmful gender norms

Our Girls’ Education Program is designed to help girls cultivate the life skills they need to navigate the gendered economic and social barriers inhibiting their futures. In Vietnam, Room to Read’s social mobilizers, who are mentors often from the same communities as the girls in the program, help equip secondary school teachers to deliver a research-based life skills curriculum, provide personalized mentorship, and foster a supportive environment where girls can practice and develop valuable skills with their peers.

We are also field testing an innovative climate justice curriculum in Vietnam that engages Grade 7 and 8 program participants in the science of climate change, its impact on gender inequalities and how to effectively take action to mitigate the effects of climate change in their communities. Room to Read provides invaluable support and guidance to local educators on life skills education.