Reading Initiatives
Barbershop Books is the debut program of Reading Holiday Project, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit literacy organization in New York City. Developed in Harlem, Barbershop Books is a community-based program that creates child-friendly reading spaces in barbershops and provides early literacy training to barbers across America. We leverage the cultural significance of barbershops in black communities to increase boys' access to culturally relevant, age appropriate, and gender responsive children's books and to increase out-of-school time reading among young black boys.
TABPHE Corpus Christi formed a partnership with Barbershop Books and Little Free Libraries. Our goal is to support reading during youth intercessions. TABPHE Corpus Christi sponsored two reading spaces under Barbershop Books. These spaces are maintained by the owners of the barbershop and books are refilled by local Little Free Library trustees. The TABPHE CC Little Free Library is currently set up in Judge Joe Benavides' courtroom. We participate in a court ordered reading program that institutes reading and completing projects in exchange for a reduction in time/fines for truancy charges for both students and parents.