St. George’s, Grenada, August 4, 2020. Teachers acting as Literacy Links in Grenada, visited CIBC FirstCaribbean Head Office to express their gratitude on receiving books to augment their school libraries and study materials. The books were made available courtesy of the Hands Across the Sea Programme with financial support from the bank.

Literacy Link for Holy Cross RC School, Gloria Bonaparte stated; this year the books may have arrived in Grenada without any ceremony to mark the occasion however, the important thing is that they are on the school library shelves and accessible to the young people, who will be encouraged to put them to good use. You can be assured that they will be receiving our guidance and support in their efforts to achieve their personal literacy and academic best”, she said.

Harriet Linskey, Co-Founder of Hands Across the Sea said: “We are thrilled with the generous support of the FirstCaribbean ComTrust Foundation that has helped Hands Across the Sea launch new lending libraries at Holy Cross RC School and St. Rose Modern Secondary School in the 2019-2020 school year. CIBC is showing a very strong commitment to advancing child literacy and academic excellence on Grenada. We also want to celebrate our Grenadian Hands Literacy Links, Gloria Bonaparte and Bernadette John, for working alongside school administrators to create these two great new school libraries.”

Since 2010 Hands Across the Sea has assisted 79 school libraries and reading programs on Grenada with 63,019 new amazing books, reaching 22,526 children in pre-schools, primary schools, secondary schools, and special education schools.

Hands Across the Sea is dedicated to raising the literacy levels of Eastern Caribbean children on the islands of Grenada, Antigua, Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Since founding the organization in 2007, Hands Across the Sea has created or rejuvenated 380 school lending libraries and shipped over 505,000 new amazing books to the region through its Caribbean Literacy and School Support (CLASS) program. The CLASS program, in concert with each school’s Hands Wish Lists (school principals, teachers, and U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers tell Hands which books they need), works in three ways: 1. Send Great New Books; 2. Create Lending Libraries (usually a school library); and 3. Fosters Sustainability of the library through support at the school, the local community, and the hands-on efforts of on-island Hands Literacy Links.