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ABOUT LIVE-IN FOR LITERACY

THE CAUSE
The mission is to raise funds to build schools, libraries, and other educational infrastructure in developing countries. The goal this year is to raise $20,000 towards the construction of a library in India and the publication of 10,000 local language children's books, to be accomplished through Room to Read.

THE CHALLENGE
Two students must eat, sleep and live in a designated area of their university library for 7 consecutive days. During the seven days, they will be raising awareness about Live-in for Literacy and fundraising for our cause. Their experience will be recorded live on webcam, to be viewed by audiences around the world.

A BRIEF HISTORY
Live-in for Literacy began four years ago, as an innocuous little event at Queen's University. Fifteen students came together to start a student club, DREAM (Discover the Reality of Educating All Minds), to raise money for Room to Read to build schools and libraries in developing countries. In 2006, DREAM's founders Alvin Shin and Joanna Sue camped out in the lobby of Stauffer Library for 10 days. The event raised $6,000 to build a computer lab in Cambodia. In 2007, two students lived in the back of a Suzuki SX4 inside Stauffer Library, to raise $11,000 to build three school libraries in Nepal. All of these projects were completed through Room to Read. Seeing the positive impact of the event, and the great potential for university libraries across Canada to contribute, the Queen's librarians recruited Memorial University of Newfoundland, University of British Columbia, and Laurentian University to join the cause in 2008. The four founding universities raised $27,000 that year to build six libraries in Nepal. Over $20,000 was raised in January of 2009 to build 4 school libraries in India. For January 2010, eight universities across Canada are uniting to raise $20,000 again to build another library in India and publish 10,000 copies of a local language children's book!

Live-in for Literacy Sources of Donation for 2006-2007


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