What 1,493 families and teachers told us about
Chispa's School Library Program in Honduras
For ten years, Chispa has been transforming bare classrooms into vibrant reading spaces — giving children their very first books and the communities around them a reason to believe in what a library can do.
A milestone worth celebrating: On July 4, 2025, Chispa installed its 100th library at Latinoamericana Elementary School — chosen by staff as a symbol of every student, teacher, and community that made the first 99 possible.
Families and teachers responded across 20 established Chispa schools
Overall response rate from eligible families and teachers — a meaningful sample for a voluntary digital survey
All surveyed schools had their Chispa library for at least one full school year
Who responded:
234 teachers · 1,259 parents/guardians
Teachers reported a dramatic shift in how often students read for pleasure. For most of these children, a Chispa library was their first-ever access to children's books — context that makes the change below entirely believable.
Teacher-reported data · n=234 teachers
More students reading daily after the library — from 1 in 7 students to more than 1 in 2
"My daughter comes home excited about what she read and longs for library day to come back. She's learned so much — she even says she knows how to ride a motorcycle now because she read about it."
"Mi hija llega emocionada contando lo que ha leído y anhela que vuelva a ser día de ir a la biblioteca. Ha aprendido mucho, hasta dice que ya sabe manejar moto porque leyó sobre ello."
— Claudia M., parent, Santa Ritaagree the library sparked greater reading interest in students
say students now discuss what they read with peers, teachers, and family — without being asked
Parents and guardians — 1,259 of them — were asked about specific, observable changes in their children. The consistency across every dimension tells a coherent story.
% reporting "agree" or "strongly agree" · n=1,249 parents
"My daughter comes home happy, telling stories she read at the library that day — and she's reading more fluently now."
Original: "Que mi hija llega a casa feliz contando las historias que a leído en la biblioteca ese día, lee más corrido." — María R., parent, Comayagua"My daughter is so enthusiastic — she loves reading and loves how the library is decorated. They left wings in these schools so children can fly on their imagination. Thank you."
"Mi hija está muy entusiamada, le fascina leer y le gusta como está decorada la biblioteca. Dejaron alas en las escuelas para que los niños puedan volar en la imaginación. Muchas gracias."
— Wendy A., parent, ComayaguaThe library doesn't just change students — it changes teachers too. Chispa's two-year training and coaching program builds real confidence in the classroom.
of teachers report increased confidence to teach reading
say their confidence increased significantly
feel more motivated to teach reading thanks to the library
agree more students are reading at grade level
Teacher Confidence Change (n=234)
"At first, students weren't integrating — but little by little they got drawn in. By the end they were reading and analyzing on their own."
"Al inicio los estudiantes no querían, pero después se fueron integrando más a la lectura y análisis."
— Sandra B., teacher, ComayaguaA library changes more than reading habits. Across every school, teachers and parents described a shift in how their community feels about education itself.
rate the library's impact on their community as "High" or "Very High"
agree the library improved the overall quality of education in their school
agree the library strengthened pride in their school community
of parents say they are more likely to keep their child enrolled at their school
"Chispa has awakened in my daughter a love of reading and set her off to explore a fascinating world she never knew before — improving her knowledge, her fluency, and above all her love of books. Thank you so much for supporting our children."
"El proyecto Chispa ha despertado en mi hija el hábito por la lectura y se ha aventurado a explorar un mundo fascinante que antes desconocía, incrementando su conocimiento, su fluidez al expresarse y sobre todo su amor por los libros. Muchísimas gracias por apoyar a nuestros niños."
— Isabel F., parent, Santa Rosa de Copánof new schools
Schools are asking for more, not less.
Among schools in their first year with a Chispa library, 91% say continued follow-up in Year 2 is essential to build a lasting reading culture. This is why Chispa extended its standard support from one year to two — and why it matters.
The open-ended question — "What is the most surprising or exciting thing you've observed since the library was installed?" — produced responses that no survey scale could capture.
"My daughter comes home happy, telling stories she read at the library that day — and she's reading more fluently now."
"Que mi hija llega a casa feliz contando las historias que a leído en la biblioteca ese día, lee más corrido."
— María R., parent, Comayagua"Seeing students who seemed to dislike reading — it turned out they didn't dislike it at all. They just couldn't find books on topics that interested them. Thank you for the variety."
"Ver que mis estudiantes que no les gustaba leer, realmente no era que no les gustaban sino que no encontraban libros de su tema de interés. Gracias por la variedad."
— Lucía G., teacher, Santa Rita"The habit and motivation in a girl at high social risk — she came every day to check out books, and after reading each one she drew a beautiful picture. Four months later her grades climbed dramatically. By year's end she had read over 100 books. It moved me deeply."
"El hábito y motivación en una niña altamente en riesgo social, llegaba a diario a prestarme libros y luego de leer cada uno hacía un dibujo muy bonito, a los 4 meses subió las notas increíblemente y a final de año hubo leído más de 100 libros. ¡Me impactó muchísimo!"
— Rosa F., teacher, Tegucigalpa"Every Tuesday, the children went to the library and came back to class eager, telling each other everything they had read."
"Los niños todos los martes asistían a la biblioteca y muy alegres regresaban contando lo que habían leído."
— Ana M., teacher, Comayagua"My daughter got so interested in reading. Before, she wouldn't put down her tablet — now she wants real physical books. Thanks to this program I've seen real improvement."
"Que mi hija se ha interesado mucho en leer, cuando antes no soltaba la tablet, ahora quiere leer en forma física y gracias al proyecto he visto mejoría."
— Patricia V., parent, Copán Ruinas"The most beautiful thing is seeing my son love to read. Any book he sees, he wants to read it — and he's only in first grade, and he's had language development challenges. Reading has helped him, and that surprises me."
"Lo más bonito es ver que a mi hijo le gusta leer. Cualquier libro que ve lo busca a leer, a pesar de que es de primer grado y ha tenido problemas en el desarrollo de su lenguaje. El leer le ha ayudado, y eso me sorprende."
— Norma E., parent, La Lima
Every Chispa library is a complete, two-year program — not just a book drop. Here is what goes into each one.
All of the above, for one child, for
$50per student · 2-year program
A complete Chispa library for a school of approximately 500 students costs around $25,000 — everything included: books, design, training, the inauguration fair, and two full years of Chispa team support. Costs scale with school size.
Most of these children had never had access to a children's book before their Chispa library. Every dollar goes directly to changing that.
Not because we asked them to say so — but because they watched it happen. They saw a child who didn't like reading discover that the right book just hadn't found them yet. They counted the days to library visits. They noticed the words coming easier.
1,249 of the 1,493 total respondents answered this question. The survey included separate sections for teachers and parents; not every respondent completed every section.
www.chispaproject.org · @chispaproject
Survey conducted November 2025 across 20 established Chispa schools in Honduras. 1,493 self-reported responses from parents, guardians, and teachers. Results reflect participant perceptions at time of survey.