Santa Catarina, March 22, 2017 – Klabin, Brazil’s largest paper producer and exporter and leading producer of packaging, corrugated board and industrial bags, delivered yesterday its Growing and Reading Project to the cities of Bom Retiro and Palmeira, both in the state of Santa Catarina. The initiative aims to bring children aged 0 to 6 closer to books, by encouraging creativity and imagination and exchanging experiences, in addition to helping materialize the Brazilian Pact for Literacy at the Right Age. Yesterday, Klabin formalized the donation of two reading corners for both schools, each equipped with 450 children’s books.

Teachers and other preschool professionals were trained by Instituto Avisa Lá throughout 2016 in courses to develop story-telling techniques. Parents participated in a two-hour story-telling workshop with an expert consultant and will, therefore, be able to contribute and encourage reading habits among children not just at school, but also at home. The first delivery was made to Municipal Preschool Capistrano, in Bom Retiro, benefiting 65 children. Preschool Laura de Souza Rafaeli, in Palmeira, was the second to receive the project, which benefited 130 students.

Developed in partnership with NGO United Way Brasil and Instituto Avisa Lá, Growing and Reading has already benefited 26 cities in seven states where Klabin operates. Since then, some 6,900 children were impacted and almost 10,000 books were donated. The Project has already trained 500 preschool professionals (teachers, technicians of the Department of Education, school principals and pedagogic coordinators).