In a small rural school in Norte de Santander, Colombia, children are discovering how reading, language learning, and caring for nature can grow together.
Sometimes, meaningful change begins with something as simple as a book in a child’s hands—or a young tree planted in the ground.
At C.E.R. Los Cedros, a rural educational center in the municipality of Ábrego, Norte de Santander, Colombia, students recently participated in a special educational and environmental activity combining bilingual reading with tree planting.
The initiative brought together teachers, students, and Little Explorer, Big World™, a literacy and environmental education project founded by photographer, author, and explorer Kike Calvo.
New Opportunities to Learn
As part of the activity, copies of Water Girl: The Girl Who Saved the Planet were donated to the school.
The children’s story introduces young readers to the importance of protecting our planet, encouraging curiosity, environmental responsibility, and a deeper connection with the natural world.
For children growing up in rural communities, access to engaging educational books can help open doors to new ideas, languages, and possibilities.
The books also support opportunities to explore English and Spanish through storytelling, connecting language learning with subjects that children can recognize in their everyday surroundings.
At Little Explorer, Big World™, we believe that every child deserves access to stories that inspire them to dream, explore, and care for the world around them—regardless of where they live.
Planting Trees, Growing Environmental Awareness
The celebration extended beyond the classroom.
Students also participated in planting shade trees around their school, helping create cooler, more welcoming outdoor spaces for future generations of children.
The activity offered a practical opportunity to learn about the importance of trees and the responsibility involved in protecting and caring for them.
By combining reading with hands-on environmental activities, educators can help children connect the messages they encounter in books with actions in their own communities.
A story about protecting the planet becomes even more meaningful when children have the opportunity to plant something that will grow alongside them.
Local Teachers Making a Difference
Behind every successful educational initiative are people who believe in the potential of their students.
This activity was made possible through the dedicated coordination of Teacher Gladys Rangel, who serves as an important connection between Little Explorer, Big World™ and rural educational institutions in Colombia.
The books were received by teacher Liseth Durán, whose collaboration helped bring the activity to students at C.E.R. Los Cedros.
Their involvement reflects something central to our mission: meaningful educational impact grows through partnerships with local educators who understand their communities and the needs of their students.
We are deeply grateful to both teachers for their dedication and commitment.
Small Actions, Lasting Impact
Since its beginnings, Little Explorer, Big World™ has worked to bring bilingual and multilingual books to children in remote and underserved communities, connecting literacy with environmental awareness, cultural understanding, and curiosity about the world.
From Indigenous communities to rural classrooms, our mission is guided by a simple belief: stories can help children imagine a better future—and education can empower them to help create it.
The experience at C.E.R. Los Cedros is another example of how books, educators, and local action can come together to make a difference.
Twenty books. Young trees taking root. A community of students discovering new ways to learn and care for their surroundings.
And perhaps, among those children, a future teacher, scientist, conservationist, or explorer beginning to discover what is possible.
Help Us Bring More Stories to More Children
Every book we share is an invitation to explore. Every school we reach is an opportunity to inspire.
Through Little Explorer, Big World™, we continue working with educators, communities, and supporters to bring books and educational opportunities to children who might otherwise have limited access to them.
Join us in bringing stories, languages, and environmental education to more classrooms around the world.
Dream. Innovate. Explore.
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