Hands Across the Sea

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Hands Across the Sea

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Hands Across the Sea is dedicated to raising children's literacy in the Eastern Caribbean. Children have the basic right to read.

Hands Across the Sea delivers sustainable, vital literacy and library programs to children in six Eastern Caribbean countries. Since 2007, Hands' initiatives have provided more than 167,000 children and youth with resources to support their capacity to create pathways for economic, social, and emotional wellbeing. Hands Across the Sea is recognized as the most effective non-governmental literacy organization in the region. Our grassroots work means we are lean, effective, and harness the knowledge of the communities within which we are working and serving. Hands Across the Sea holds a Memorandum of Understanding with the OECS Education Management Unit, the regional commission charged with education policy and implementation. Hands serves as a Development Partner and advisor on the Regional Education Group alongside Global Partners for Education (GPE), World Bank, USAID, UNICEF, UNESCO, the European Union (EU), University of the West Indies (UWI), Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), and the Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT).

10/15/2026

Bernadette John brings more than four decades of educational experience to her role as a Literacy Link in Grenada. Her background includes a Bachelor of Education in Literacy Studies and a specialization in Early Childhood Education.

Through the Literacy Links program, Bernadette John works alongside school staff to help school libraries become an active and lasting part of daily learning. Her experience supports educators as they strengthen library use within their schools.

The Literacy Links program helps schools sustain the libraries established through the CLASS program by building ongoing relationships with educators and supporting consistent literacy practices.

Learn more about the Literacy Links program.
https://handsacrossthesea.org/about/people/

10/13/2026

Library Time provides practical guidance for using school libraries as part of daily classroom instruction. Developed to support the CLASS program, the resource helps teachers incorporate library books into lessons that keep students engaged with reading.

The guide includes ideas for managing library-based activities while making books an active part of literacy instruction. It encourages meaningful use of library collections during classroom learning and independent reading.

Resources such as Library Time help sustain active school libraries by supporting teachers alongside the books provided through the CLASS program.

Download the Library Time teacher resource and explore other tools in the Hands Across the Sea Digital Resource Library.
https://handsacrossthesea.org/resources/

10/08/2026

At Princess Margaret Secondary School, the library is a resource students and teachers return to throughout the school day. Current, high-interest books keep the collection relevant for reading practice, classroom assignments, and independent learning.

Through the CLASS program, Hands Across the Sea supports secondary schools with book collections selected to match student needs and classroom instruction. A well-stocked, actively used library gives secondary school students access to materials that support learning across subjects.

Schools like Princess Margaret demonstrate why sustained investment in secondary school libraries matters. When collections stay current, libraries stay active.

Support the CLASS program by making a gift.
https://handsacrossthesea.org/get-involved/make-a-gift/

10/06/2026

Leadership Giving helps sustain Hands Across the Sea's literacy programs across the Eastern Caribbean. These contributions support the continued delivery of CLASS, the Early Pages Programme, and Literacy Links in partner schools and communities.

Consistent donor support helps maintain school libraries, expand access to quality books, and strengthen ongoing partnerships with educators. These programs remain active because schools receive continued literacy resources and guidance throughout the year.

Leadership gifts contribute to the long-term stability of Hands Across the Sea's work, helping ensure that literacy initiatives continue serving children, educators, and school communities across the region.

Learn more about Leadership Giving.

https://handsacrossthesea.org/get-involved/

10/01/2026

Apprentices contribute to the daily work of school libraries through the CLASS program. State and regionally led initiatives place young people in schools where they gain practical experience while supporting library operations.

Working alongside Literacy Links, apprentices bring additional capacity to school libraries during the academic year. Students gain consistent access to support, library shelves stay organized, and educators have a collaborative partner in maintaining the reading culture the CLASS program is designed to build.

Learn more about the CLASS program.

https://handsacrossthesea.org/what-we-do/class-program/

09/29/2026

At Clare Valley Government School, weekly library visits are part of classroom learning. Teachers regularly bring students to the library, where books support reading practice and book report activities.

As part of the CLASS program, Hands Across the Sea helps schools strengthen existing lending libraries with books that match student interest and classroom needs. Refreshing well-used collections helps keep library shelves relevant for everyday learning.

A top-up collection allows students and teachers to continue using the library as an active part of the school week while expanding access to new, high-interest titles.

Support the CLASS program by making a gift.

https://zurl.co/6n9Yv

09/24/2026

Hands Across the Sea's literacy work is carried out through three active programs: CLASS, Early Pages Programme, and Literacy Links. Together, these programs place books into schools, strengthen lending libraries, and provide ongoing support for educators across the Eastern Caribbean.

Each program plays a distinct role in sustaining literacy. CLASS builds and supports lending libraries, the Early Pages Programme introduces books during the earliest years of learning, and Literacy Links work alongside educators to keep libraries active and integrated into daily school life.

Support helps maintain these active programs in schools and communities across the Eastern Caribbean. Every contribution strengthens ongoing literacy work that students, educators, and schools rely on throughout the year.

Explore the different ways to support Hands Across the Sea.

https://zurl.co/BS2M3

09/22/2026

On the island of Mayreau in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, students attend school in a traditional one-room schoolhouse. Moveable chalkboards separate grade-level classrooms, creating a shared learning space within a single building.

Through the CLASS program, Hands Across the Sea works with Mayreau Primary School to place books, support the lending library, and help educators build reading into the school day. Books circulate regularly, and the library serves students across every grade level within the same shared space.

Every school community the CLASS program serves is different. Mayreau Primary demonstrates that active library programs can be sustained even in the most distinctive and remote settings in the Eastern Caribbean.

Learn more about the CLASS program.

https://handsacrossthesea.org/what-we-do/class-program/

09/17/2026

At Adele School, a dedicated library gives educators consistent access to organized book collections that support daily literacy instruction. When books are available and well organized, they become part of how teachers plan lessons and how students engage with reading throughout the school day.

Through the CLASS program, Hands Across the Sea works with schools across the Eastern Caribbean to build and sustain libraries that function as active learning spaces. A well-supported school library is not a one-time investment. It requires ongoing attention, updated collections, and educators who know how to use it.

Schools like Adele reflect why that sustained approach matters. When a library becomes part of daily school life, students and teachers rely on it throughout the year.

Support the CLASS program by making a gift.
https://zurl.co/OrpbA

09/15/2026

"My greatest pleasure is seeing children achieve as much as they can," says Vernest Mack. As a Literacy Link in Antigua and Barbuda, she works with educators to strengthen literacy through active school libraries and consistent library use.

Drawing on decades of experience as a teacher and school principal, Vernest shares practical literacy strategies with educators in primary and secondary schools. Her work focuses on helping libraries remain active places where books are regularly borrowed, read by students, and incorporated into classroom instruction.

Through the Literacy Links program, experienced educators provide ongoing guidance that helps schools sustain library use beyond the arrival of new books. This consistent support strengthens the CLASS approach to building long-term literacy practices.

Learn more about the Literacy Links program.
https://zurl.co/Rm2EI

Address

P. O. Box 55071, Suite 85043
Boston, MA
02205

Website

https://handsacrossthesea.org/about/

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