About

The Language Project

The Language Project is a 501(c)3 tax exempt, nonprofit organization creating and supporting libraries and resource centers in underdeveloped areas.

Mission:

We empower people to pursue their interests, achieve their potential and fulfill their dreams by providing the resources and tools they need to study and help themselves... Because everyone deserves a chance to better themselves and their world.

  • We are presently working in Laos, where we have developed a working relationship with the Director of the National Library and tapped the energy and experience of local, motivated students, teachers and community leaders.
  • Our library and book donation program is unique. Unlike most projects that rely on donated used books and book overruns, we carefully choose every book to be culturally appropriate and to meet specific, local needs at individual libraries. We believe that our users are important and that small collections carefully chosen have the greatest value.
  • Although founded in 2000 to help the large number of students studying English without access to materials, the push for education and the severe shortage of materials in every subject area quickly led to the expanded role of supporting study in all areas.
  • 75% of the materials we provide are not available in Laos.


Library Guiding Principles:

  • Thinking, studying, asking questions and curiosity are cool
  • We’re all students and teachers
  • We create exponential growth through sharing knowledge
  • We operate as a meritocracy and a civil society, valuing fairness
  • We respect basic human rights and work to keep all children safe
  • We are an ongoing experiment
  • We support self-study and self motivation
  • We promote creativity, passion and engagement
  • We support learning how to learn
  • We support pride in your culture while becoming citizens of the world
  • We change the world one book, one computer and one person at a time
  • We encourage standards, “raising the bar” and quality

     

    No Limits at This Laotian Library

    By Dawn Starin. The Christian Science Monitor. Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the north-central part of Laos, has often...