
The
focus
of
Samantha
Boateng's
International
Baccalaureate
(IB)
Studies
service
project
was
to
help
students
in
her
mother's
native
country,
Ghana.
As
a
16-year-old
junior,
she
began
a
successful
campaign
to
collect
and
donate
books.
Her
service
project
transformed
into
a
nonprofit
organization
that
not
only
provides
books,
but
also
funding
to
build
libraries.
Boateng,
a
2014
graduate
of
Gar-Field
High,
founded
the
Read2Lead
Nonprofit
Organization.
Brian
Bassett,
the
administrative
coordinator
of
the
IB
Program
at
Gar-Field,
serves
as
the
chairman.
Each
school
year,
his
current
students
are
actively
involved.
"Read2Lead's
goal
is
to
help
develop
the
next
generation
of
leaders
(in
Ghana)
through
literacy
programs
and
increasing
access
to
books.
At
Gar-Field,
we
raise
funds
to
help
support
this
project,"
Bassett
shared.
"We
collect
and
ship
books,
library
and
school
furniture,
and
educational
resources
to
support
the
schools
where
Read2Lead
libraries
reside,"
he
added.
"I
never
thought
that
this
project
would
become
a
long-term
project,
let
alone
a
nonprofit
organization.
I
just
wanted
to
do
something
meaningful
and
I'm
amazed
by
how
it
has
grown
in
such
a
short
time,"
Boateng
shared.
One
of
the
reasons
Read2Lead
has
been
so
successful
is
the
emphasis
on
encouraging
communities
to
be
involved
in
the
projects.
Community
members
were
included
in
discussing
the
plans
for
the
libraries
before
the
start
of
construction
and
during
the
construction.
"World
leaders
have
conducted
similar
projects
in
Ghana
but
were
not
actively
involved
in
the
communities.
We
emphasize
community
participation,
so
people
really
value
that,"
Boateng
explained.
"I
felt
most
honored
when
one
community
dubbed
me
'princess
of
progress'
because
of
Read2Lead's
work,"
she
added.
Current
Read2Lead
libraries
in
Ghana
include
Gbawie
Cluster
of
Schools
in
Accra,
Ahafo
Ano
South
Basic
School
in
the
Ashanti
Region,
and
Kotwi
R/C
Primary
and
JHS
in
Kumasi,
currently
under
construction.
Gar-Field
Librarians
Katie
Wilkinson
and
Melissa
Campbell
have
assisted
in
Read2Lead's
efforts
by
coordinating
students
to
help
by
cataloging,
inventorying,
and
sorting
donations.
Campbell
saw
the
nonprofit's
impact
firsthand
during
a
trip
to
Ghana
in
2018.
IB
Middle
Years
Programme
(MYP)
Coordinator
and
Gifted
Education
Teacher
Della
Gordon
is
another
key
faculty
volunteer
who
has
been
working
"behind-the-scenes"
since
the
establishment
of
the
nonprofit.
Gordon
also
traveled
to
Ghana
in
2018.
Gar-Field
continues
to
raise
money
for
the
construction
of
the
third
library,
but
currently,
is
only
taking
donations
of
more
recent
encyclopedia
sets
and
adult
job
training
resources.
They
are
also
working
with
Gar-Field
art
students
to
decorate
the
newest
library
and
refresh
the
others.
Visit
Read2Lead's
website
and
Facebook
page
for
updates
on
their
on-going
work
in
Ghana.
Monetary
donations
can
be
made
through
the
nonprofit's
website.