Our Work in Chile

In Chile, The Library Project works with rural schools and community centers to make books and reading a more accessible part of children’s everyday lives. Reading Rooms provide dedicated spaces for children to explore books, while Reading Corners place age-appropriate reading materials directly in classrooms and other learning environments. Book Donations help schools and community centers expand and refresh their existing collections.

Our Literacy Programs build on this access by giving children opportunities to strengthen reading skills, comprehension, and confidence. Through Training & Support, we work with educators and community-based partners to help them use books effectively and create environments that encourage children to read regularly.

We also provide Capacity Building for local literacy nonprofit organizations. By strengthening program development, organizational planning, fundraising, and other core capacities, we help locally led organizations increase the effectiveness and sustainability of their work with children and communities.

Literacy in Chile

Chile has broad access to education, but significant reading challenges remain. According to the newly released PISA 2025 results, 62 percent of Chilean 15-year-olds reached at least the baseline level of reading proficiency, meaning approximately 38 percent did not. Reading performance also declined between 2022 and 2025 and is now significantly below the levels recorded in 2015 and 2018.

National averages also mask substantial inequality. UNICEF’s 2025 analysis found that among fourth-grade students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, 44.1 percent demonstrated insufficient performance in reading, compared with just 10.8 percent among students from higher-income backgrounds. UNICEF also identifies territorial disparities and disadvantages affecting Indigenous children, particularly those living in rural communities where access to infrastructure and connectivity can be more limited.

These differences demonstrate why access to books must be accompanied by opportunities to use them, strong literacy instruction, and support for the adults and organizations working with children. The Library Project responds by creating reading spaces, providing books and Literacy Programs, strengthening educators through Training & Support, and investing in local organizations through Capacity Building.