Inspired by the classic children's story, the Stone Soup Literacy Initiative advocates that "Sharing creates abundance, happiness stems from giving, and action inspires change".
We partner with education bureaus and schools to cultivate a vibrant "Reading for Pleasure" culture. Our mission is to transform school libraries and empower children to become active readers and lifelong learners by making authentic reading a joyful part of everyday life.
We systematically build a campus-wide reading ecosystem anchored in four core pillars:
People: Empowering principals, librarians, and teachers to lead meaningful change.
Books: Ensuring easy access to high-quality, age-appropriate children's books.
Time: Safeguarding student reading time (Sustained Silent Reading & Read Aloud) within the school timetable.
Environment: Creating reader-friendly and diverse spaces.
We foster inter-school collaboration through our 'Hand-holding' mechanisms, Principal Round-tables for strategic planning, and teachers' networks designed for sharing resources and best practices.
The cornerstone of our work is the Stone Soup Happy Reading Alliance, a regional initiative launched in 2012 in the Baohe District of Hefei, Anhui Province. Through years of practice, the Alliance has refined the "Stone Soup" model into a proven framework for promoting "Reading for Pleasure" in educational settings.
Key Achievements (as of April 2026):
100% Coverage: Partnered with 58 schools, reaching all primary schools in the Baohe District.
Broad Reach: Benefiting over 212,208 teachers and students.
High Engagement: 72% of students report an "intense love" for reading.
Global Recognition: Represented China at the 44th International Association of School Librarianship (IASL) Conference.
Beyond its home base, the model's efficacy has been validated through successful cross-regional replications in Sichuan and Fujian, supported by integrated toolkits that include teacher training, study tours, and on-site consultancy.
