Lire et faire lire

Organization: The Paris Federation of the League of Education

Supported Project: Read and Have Read

Read and Have Read is an intergenerational project that encourages seniors to read stories aloud to children (nurseries, preschools, elementary schools), thus sharing the joy of reading. The project contributes to changing perceptions of seniors with the aim of uniting our fellow citizens. Seniors build and maintain social connections: with children, with the educational community, with other volunteers, and with the cultural sector. The Paris Federation also offers volunteers gentle exercise activities, hikes, storytelling walks, and museum visits, encouraging them to maintain their physical fitness.

Each week, volunteers go to the facilities where they have been assigned (based on the facilities' needs, the proximity of their home to the facility, their mobility, and the target audience they have chosen) to read stories aloud for one or two hours to groups of children (3 to 6). This role involves choosing books and practicing. The Paris Federation also offers them training (group management, reading aloud, etc.), workshops, and thematic conferences with librarians where volunteers can meet each other as well as with reading professionals. The Federation provides them with a framework for commitment, allowing them to belong to a group and feel valued. The program coordinator offers them more than one activity per week (excluding school holidays) in addition to their reading session, whether it be cultural, physical, or simply a social activity.

We are proud and happy to be able to support their project for two years (2024/25).