An Update (April 2025)

It’s been a while since we last shared an update—but that’s only because we’ve been hard at work. At Empower with Education, our mission remains simple but powerful: make learning accessible, equitable, and joyful for all. Over the past year, we've been honored to deepen our impact, one book, one student, and one community at a time.

Eleven Libraries—and Counting

We’re proud to say we’ve now helped support the creation of eleven community libraries around the world, each one designed to bring learning resources into the hands of those who need them most. Here’s a quick snapshot of what we’ve been up to:

• Three libraries with Hopelink, supporting families in transitional housing and community centers.

• The Gyansanjeevani Library in India, built in collaboration with NMP Medical Institute to serve students in underserved areas.

• A Native American early learning center library for elementary and preschoolers, located in the Samish Longhouse, to support the Samish Tribe’s youngest learners.

• Another early literacy center library at the Marion Forsman-Boushie Early Learning Center, operated by the Suquamish Tribe on the Port Madison Reservation.

• Two libraries in partnership with Nanhi Kali at Prabodhankar Thakare Marathi BMC School in Mumbai, designed especially for young girls.

• Two community libraries integrated with HopeLink, a local food bank, where families can access both nourishment and knowledge.

• A school library at SMK Perjuangan Parongpong in Indonesia, offering vocational students access to critical academic resources.

  
  

Each of these spaces is more than just shelves and books. They are places of hope, discovery, and possibility.

Taking Small Steps Toward Bigger Change

In addition to our work on the ground, we’ve also been learning more about how educational policy can shape access and opportunity. Over the past year, we’ve supported efforts around a federal education bill aimed at promoting innovative learning models in schools.

While our role was small—mainly providing insight into the importance of flexible, student-centered approaches like Project-Based Learning (PBL)—we’re excited to see ideas like these gaining traction. The bill aims to create a grant program that encourages schools to try new models of teaching, grounded in evidence and designed with students at the center. It’s one more way that learning can be reimagined for today’s world.

Project-Based Learning at the Core

PBL continues to be a guiding light for our educational philosophy. When students take on real-world problems, they gain more than academic knowledge—they develop agency, collaboration skills, and confidence. Whether it’s designing a budget in a classroom or brainstorming ways to improve their community, PBL reminds us that learning should feel meaningful.

What’s Next?

We’re just getting started. As we look ahead, we’re dreaming bigger—more libraries, more partnerships, and more chances to bring high-quality learning experiences to those too often left behind. We’re especially excited about upcoming projects that blend community-driven education with new tools for student engagement.

Thank you for being part of this journey. Whether you’ve donated a book, built a bookshelf, or simply believed in our mission, you’ve helped us turn small sparks into lasting change.

Stay tuned.

The best is yet to come.