Hands Across the Sea plans books for 96 schools and preschools in 2026–2027, including Braille books donated by Perkins School for the Blind
By Ben Engle
Hands Across the Sea, a Boston-based nonprofit, works alongside Eastern Caribbean educators to help children become confident, enthusiastic readers. Through carefully selected books, school libraries, and ongoing local support, the organization builds lasting relationships with schools and helps make reading part of children’s everyday lives.
For the 2026–2027 school year, Hands plans to provide books to 96 schools and preschools, along with three additional library and education partners, across Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Behind those numbers are relationships built over years through Hands’ Literacy Links model. Locally based program officers work alongside educators who know their students, school leaders strengthening their libraries, and communities committed to helping children grow as readers.
Founded in 2007 by sailors Harriet and Tom Linskey, Hands grew from a personal connection to the Caribbean into a lasting commitment to its children. Its work rests on trust in local educators, respect for their knowledge, and faith in what children can accomplish when someone invests in their curiosity.
This year, Hands Across the Sea has partnered with Perkins School for the Blind and its Braille & Talking Book Library to help expand access to reading for children with visual impairments in the Eastern Caribbean. Perkins contributed Braille books, which Hands will distribute through its network of local educators and school partners. Together, these contributions connect specialized resources with the children who need them.
The organization’s locally based program officers, known as Literacy Links, keep its work rooted in the communities it serves. They return to schools, listen to teachers, help organize libraries, and support the people responsible for keeping children engaged with books. Their continuing presence helps turn a shipment of books into a resource a school can depend on.
Children share that responsibility. Through Hands’ Student Librarian training, primary school students learn to help classmates choose books, manage borrowing, and care for their collections. Being trusted with a library gives children a practical role in their school community and a chance to see themselves as capable leaders.
Hands’ programs support readers at different stages:
- Caribbean Literacy and School Support (CLASS) establishes and renews lending libraries in Primary and Secondary schools, pairing carefully selected books with ongoing support for educators and student librarians.
- Early Pages Programme introduces preschoolers to stories through classroom collections, shared reading, and activities that invite parents and caregivers into their children’s learning.
- Remedial Reading Collections provide targeted resources for students who need additional help, including older children still developing foundational skills.
- Special Education Collections allow educators to offer reading experiences suited to children with disabilities and different learning needs, including resources such as the Braille books donated by Perkins.
This year’s school requests reveal both the challenges and the determination behind the work. Some educators are replacing collections damaged by water or termites. Others are preparing a dedicated library room, restarting a borrowing program, or seeking books that will capture the attention of children who have yet to discover reading for pleasure.
In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, one school’s request describes a special education teacher working with small groups several times a week, tailoring instruction to each child’s reading level and tracking progress. In Antigua, another school is seeking fresh titles for students who already use their library to research, borrow, and simply sit and read.
Each request begins with someone paying attention to children and believing their opportunities can grow.
Individuals, sailing communities, businesses, publishers, and philanthropic partners can learn more or support a school at handsacrossthesea.org.
About Hands Across the Sea
Founded in 2007, Hands Across the Sea is a Boston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to raising children’s literacy in the Eastern Caribbean through books, school and community libraries, and sustained support for educators and young readers.
About Perkins School for the Blind & its Braille & Talking Book Library
Perkins is an international nonprofit with a mission of serving children and young adults with multiple disabilities, their families, educators, researchers, and professionals worldwide through educational services, innovation, accessibility, and professional development. A part of Perkins, the Braille & Talking Book Library circulates more than half a million copies of accessible books, newspapers, and publications in braille, large print, and digital audio formats annually to thousands of registered patrons with print disabilities. Learn more about Perkins and the library by visiting Perkins.org and PerkinsLibrary.org.
