Wash and Learn Promotes Health Literacy

Wash and Learn started from an exploratory program with Libraries Without Borders to create pop-up literacy spaces. Laundromats proved to be incredibly popular places to host the program. Photo attribution: Libraries Without Borders U.S. and Michigan Radio The Greater Midwest Region of the National Library of Medicine awarded a health information outreach award to Libraries Without Borders (LWB), a non-profit organization “striving to invent the 21st century library so that regardless of circumstances, people throughout the world can live with dignity and have the opportunity to thrive through access to information, education and culture.” Allister Chang, Executive Director, and Adam Echelman, Director of Programs, launched Wash & Learn as a summer learning program that created pop-up library spaces in laundromats throughout Detroit. With the support of several community agencies including the Parkman Branch of the Detroit Public Library, Wash and Learn transformed local laundromats into informal learning spaces where people could access early-learning literacy materials as they waited for their clothes to wash and dry. Because of the success of the Detroit early-learning literacy program, Allister and Adam considered other community literacy needs. In 2017, they applied for funding from NNLM to add MedlinePlus, the National Library of Medicine consumer health information website, to the Wash and Learn program. They partnered with the Brainerd Public L...
Source: The Cornflower - Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Tags: All of Us Consumer Health Funding Public Libraries Anoka County Library Libraries Without Borders public library funding Scott County Library St. Paul Public Library Success Stories Source Type: news