Through Educational Alternatives Worldwide, I worked with teachers and students at the Rato Bangala School in Kathmandu. We focused on reading comprehension and engagement in the middle and high schools.

I also ran a series of writing workshops through the publishing arm of the school, Rato Bangala Kitab, to create quality children’s literature for Nepali children. We studied examples of published picture books and middle grade novels and worked on drafting and revising stories for publication.

I did similar writing workshops with village teachers in rural districts. The challenge is to increase access to literature that reflects their students’ lives. I also worked with these teachers on interactive read-aloud practices and setting up structures for independent reading.