Image source: Instagram/literacycycle.donate
The 17-year-old student from Urbana, Maryland, Sophia Fan, started collecting and redistributing used books when she was just 13, and her initiative, Literacy Cycle, has now donated more than 7,000 books in just four years. Since 2022, the organisation has distributed more than 7,000 books. Nobody would have thought that a forgotten cupboard of books under the stairs would give someone an idea that would eventually reach thousands of children in the United States and other countries. Fan, now a senior at Urbana High School, had been surrounded by books since childhood. One of her early favourites was a My Little Pony book that she remembers taking her into another world. Years later, while sorting through books she had outgrown, she came across a collection that had been left unused and began thinking about how the stories and learning materials could reach and help other children as well. Fan first approached five students at her high school with the idea of passing on the AP books they had finished using to students who could not afford them. The initiative was initially called AP Cycle, reflecting its focus on helping educational materials find new readers instead of remaining unused after exams. The books are not limited to one age group or subject. children’s books give younger readers the chance to discover stories and interests of their own While used AP textbooks can help students prepare for advanced classes. For Fan, a book that one student has finished using may still be useful to someone else, whether it helps them explore a new subject, prepare for an exam or find a story they enjoy.
What Sophia Fan plans to do next
Despite managing Literacy Cycle alongside school and other commitments, Fan hopes to continue overseeing the organisation when she goes to college. She plans to study public or global health and explore health disparities around the world, an interest that also reflects her concern about unequal access to resources. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.