When a young student in Minneapolis told us what she wanted most, her answer was simple: a book.
I reached into my backpack, handed her my book, and watched as a wave of possibility washed over her. A smile erupted and her eyes brightened. I saw the profound power and promise brought through a gesture as simple as giving a book to just one child. Over the next five years, we partnered with corporations and public libraries alike. These books, these small pieces of potential, led to powerful conversations with parents and children across countless cultures and languages. From years of listening to their words, it became clear that there was a need for a more robust pipeline to organize book donations. This would require active community participation — and ambitious outreach and partnerships. These are the guidelines on which Educaturu was founded in 2019.
Since starting with a single book, we’ve raised over $80,000.
But our founding story is more than just one person’s experience. Our organization is a representation of all who have contributed in ways small and large to help Educaturu reach this current moment. It’s been the efforts of our volunteers and permanent staff members that have built the foundational relationships now enabling the long-term commitment and sustainability of our work. Our partnerships in across Minnesota and Texas have countless volunteers whose efforts helped lay the foundation for our thriving programs today.
Since our inception, we’ve learned a lot. We’ve learned that education is a living, breathing entity that evolves into something spectacular. Every piece of its growth is a challenge and each book, dollar and supporter is essential. Educturu is now a statewide organization with dozens of passionate individuals, many of whom are the most dynamic and impactful leaders we have ever seen. They are committed to supporting a world with greater educational opportunity for all. We fundamentally believe that a day will come in our lifetimes when every single child will have access to a quality education, and we will continue to work tirelessly in breaking down the restraints of today to enable the possibilities of tomorrow.