Helping to Foster Love for Reading and a Better Future   

On Wednesday, October 11, 2023, the Intl. WeLoveU Foundation collaborated with the Latin@ Pinterest employee resource group (ERG) to host a book donation at Bryant Elementary School in San Francisco, CA. The elementary school is located in San Francisco’s Mission District, a vibrant yet underserved community of primarily Latiné residents. In honor of Latiné Heritage Month, Latin@ Pinterest donated books to Bryant Elementary.   

Celebrating Latiné Heritage Month   

September 15 marks the beginning of Latiné Heritage Month. And through October 15, Pinterest celebrates the diverse roots of the Latiné community. Latin@’s theme this year is Raizces: Celebrando Nossa Origem Latiné. Raizces translates into roots in English and is a combination of Spanish and Portuguese. They celebrate everything that shapes their identity and use storytelling as a gateway to unite traditions. Latiné Heritage Month is also a time to recognize the experiences of Latin Americans to remind us of what sacrifices were made to bring them to where they are today. The remembrance of these experiences can help to inspire younger generations to strive to be the greatest they can be, leveraging the efforts of those who came before them.   

Let’s Get Rooted in Reading!  

On the day of the event, six volunteers from the ERG participated in a read-aloud session for the students at the school. They read books like Paletero Man, Milo Imagines the World, and The Last Stop on Market Street. Read-aloud sessions were held across four classrooms from kindergarten to third-grade students. Dr. Matt Wayne, Superintendent of SFUSD, Mary Nicely, Chief Superintendent of the California Department of Education (CDE), and Cheryl Cotton, Deputy Superintendent (CDE), also joined.    

Andrea Acosta, Latin@ Pinterest member, shared, “Investing in our youth’s education and well-being is so important and is the foundation to make our communities thrive.” Reading aloud to children supports cognitive development, improves language skills, and increases imagination and creativity. Volunteers from all organizations were empowered and excited about the work that was done that day.   

The Talleys Are In: 250 Books for Bryant!  

Through the support of Latin@ Pinterest, WeLoveU provided Bryan Elementary with 250 new books. Holding this event helps WeLoveU in achieving Sustainable Development Goal #4 to promote quality education.   

“This donation will help students have access to quality books to open up a whole new world for them,” said Mary Nicely, Chief Superintendent (CDE). In addition to this, WeLoveU and Latin@ donated 380 new books to elementary students at P.S. 5 in New York City and held read-aloud sessions with NYC Latin@ Pinterest employees.   

WeLoveU hopes to foster more relationships with entities like Latin@ Pinterest to help bridge the education gap in underserved communities while celebrating their roots and where they came from!