Headshot Photo of Beatriz de Oliveira
2019 Award Recipient

BeatrizDe Oliveira

Project Books for a Change

Location San Diego, CA

Issue Area Education

Being a lifelong lover of literature, Beatriz was taken aback. She had assumed the daycares, or creches, in her hometown of Campinas, Brazil, would be full of books. It wasn’t until she arrived, dropping off the box of toys she was donating, that she saw she was wrong. There weren’t any books. Speaking with a staff member, Beatriz learned that most creches were funded by the government and could only afford the barest of necessities.

Books for a Change was Beatriz’s response. Books for a Change collects and donates books to daycares around the world. To date, Beatriz and her organization have worked to serve over 10,000 children, giving them access to the life-changing power of books. Additionally, she developed a curriculum for daycare instructors to foster a lifelong passion for reading.

Ultimately, the goal of Books for a Change is to spread literature and the love of reading as far as I can around the world.

Beatriz De Oliveira
“It is never too late, too early, or too often TO GIVE BACK AND MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE”
Helen Diller