Please contact our Education Coordinator (education@intlbookproject.org) with questions!
What is Books as Bridges?
In 2007, International Book Project launched the Books as Bridges program to meet the growing need for greater cultural awareness in Kentucky. Books as Bridges is a free program that pairs classrooms in different countries in a year-long cultural exchange. Here is how Books as Bridges works:
- Our Education Coordinator works directly with each U.S.-based classroom (in-person or remotely) to teach two Cultural Literacy Lessons about their partner country.
- During the school year, students write and send three sets of letters to each other, learning from and teaching their international peers about their home countries.
- Students exchange cultural packages containing small items (toys, snacks, photos) that represent life in their respective countries. Shipping fees are covered by International Book Project.
- International partner classrooms receive small shipments of books from IBP to help grow their school libraries.
U.S. classrooms are also encouraged to incorporate a service-learning project into their Books as Bridges curriculum, such as hosting a book drive for IBP or fundraising to send extra books to their partner school.
Can my classroom participate in Books as Bridges?
Applications for the 2026-27 Books as Bridges program are open now! Teachers from EVERY country are encouraged to apply for their classrooms to participate. Applications close on May 20, 2026, and teachers will be notified about the results of their applications by mid-August.
